NHS Health Call has launched a scheme that encourages patients using warfarin blood thinners to self-test through a digital device.
Patients in County Durham and Darlington who take warfarin are being encouraged to sign up to the new digital scheme, reported the Northern Echo.
In 2014 NICE recommended self-testing for patients taking warfarin should be extended but currently only 1% of patients do so.
The new NHS Health Call scheme uses the CoaguChek XS, a device that monitors patients’ international normalised ratio (INR) (blood coagulation) through a finger-prick. The test results are then communicated back to the patients’ clinics via an automated phone call.
However, though 10,000 people in County Durham and Darlington take warfarin, only 350 people have signed up to the digital service, reported the newspaper.
Derek Jones, from Darlington, has signed up. He said to the Northern Echo: “If for any reason you can’t commit to the clinic, because you’re working, going away or just want to live a normal life then this service will really help.
“I don’t need to take regular time off work, pay for travel or car park charges at the clinic because I’m able to take my own readings and receive my updated dose when it’s convenient for me, without disrupting my normal routine.”
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