Petey,
I don't have any experience with home monitoring but we used a CoaguChek monitor in the clinic where I worked. I believe it is made by Roche. These finger stick monitors seem to be pretty accurate in the theraputic range. As you get further outside that range they can vary more.
I think it is very important that her Dr is on board with home monitoring and will work with her.

Just read your last sentence again....you get results just like checking a blood sugar. There is a test strip, place a drop of blood on it from a fingerstick, and the machine displays results in about 30 seconds.
I guess you would then call the Dr office for instructions. I believe there is a company that acts as middleman and results go to them and they send it to your Dr. I'm not exactly sure how that works.
The ideal would be to teach a patient how to do some simple adjustments on their own just like diabetic patients adjust insulin on their own based on blood sugar results.

Hi Petey:
I checked into these a few months ago. There's another one called PTINR. This all came up in a discussion with ATP. In Switzerland that government provides the meter (which costs about $1200) and the strips, which are also expensive. They then train people to monitor their own levels and adjust their med. In this country, it doesn't work like that.
Here, Medicare will pay for the meter and strips if you have been on Coumadin for at least six months. The doctor must be willing to participate. After the patient does the test, they must call into the service, the service then calls the doctor, the doctor calls the patient to adjust the Coumadin dosage.
Since you are my age, your mom must be pretty old. Would she be better of with a NOAC? No muss, no fuss, no bother.

Oh yes, you just call the service, they will handle all the paper work with Medicare. Like I said, the physician must buy in. I found PTINR more straight forward. I believe ATP uses the Roche meter in Switzerland

http://www.ptinr.com/
http://www.coaguchek.com/coaguchek_patient/landing

Thanks guys.

Paul: She was on Coumadin... then switched to Pradaxa (stomach issues), then Xarelto (I forget what the problem was there, now back to Coumadin.

petey

Hi Petey,
As Paul said; I use the Roche Coaguchek. Really easy. Only our government has nothing to do with it, the health insurance pays for the machine (one every 5 years and ONLY the Coaguchek), strips for 300 SFr. per year and the training course.

Heres the discussion link Paul was talking about: http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Atrial_Fibrillation_AFib/forum/18332257-apixaban-eliquis

I hope your mom gets her inr straightened out!

Take care,
atp

There is a PE site on DS, where some of the people do self monitoring.
It is a very active site and you will get an answer quickly.

Thanks MissD and ATP and everyone. My wife is very appreciative and now understands what we do on his website (besides talk about the Bronx and Bordeaux) . petey

I don't know about the accuracy of those tests but sure would
make sure since it is a fine line between right and wrong.
I go every two weeks.. BUT for the elderly they will send
a nurse to her home if getting there is too difficult.
A lady across the street does not drive and the 'nurse on
wheels comes frequently for the INR'
Pretty sure it is covered by medicare if you get a script
from her doctor. Good luck...
BTW I looked into home monitoring. EXPENSIVE!!!!!