Links to Home INR monitoring information

For anyone who takes warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven, generic), a number of studies have demonstrated that checking how quickly blood clots using a meter at home once a week is as good as going to a clinic once a month. It's much less hassle and just as accurate. The Home INR Study, reported at the American Heart Association meeting, showed that the two strategies are equivalent. Unfortunately, it isn't as easy to get a meter to check your international normalized ratio (INR), a measure of the blood's tendency to clot, as it is to get a home blood sugar monitor. First you have to get a prescription from your doctor. Then you have to get a loaner device and be trained to use it. Some doctors' offices are set up to do this, but most work with a business that specializes in home INR monitoring. These include:

• Philips INR@Home

• Quality Assured Services and ATS Medical

• BloodRights