A New Educational Campaign
from Roche Diagnostics

  Roche Diagnostics is launching an educational campaign in September 2010 for people on long term oral anticoagulants, their carers and other healthcare professionals that look after them.

  The aim of the campaign is to inform people about the potential of patient self-monitoring and to explain the benefits that either self-testing (PST) or self-managing (PSM) can have on patients’ lives.

  Whilst up to 50% of patients are eligible for PST/PSM, many patients are simply unaware of the potential benefits of being able to self-monitor at home.

What are the benefits of Patient Self-Monitoring?

  Self-Monitoring has many advantages: it is straightforward, it makes routine testing easier, it gives patients their independence back and it means patients can be directly involved in their own health, collaborating with their Healthcare Professional. Even more important, experience has shown that more frequent testing reduces complications resulting from the underlying disease or from the anticoagulant itself.

  Self-monitoring provides many patients with the convenience and flexibility to monitor any changes in their coagulation levels caused by changes in diet, lifestyle or illness, allowing them to take more control of their condition. In addition, studies have shown that self-testing or self-managing oral anticoagulation leads to a significant 50% reduction in thromboembolism.

  Results of anticoagulation self-testing monitors are comparable with laboratory results, and have been independently shown to be both accurate and reliable.

What does Patient Self-Monitoring involve?

  Patient self-testing allows people to test their own blood simply and safely from home using a self-testing kit. The individual who is self-testing reports the results of their test to their local healthcare professional by phone or email to receive advice on the dose of warfarin they should take.

  Patients who want to go one step further can self-manage their condition, whereby they learn to understand what dose they need based on their INR results. This allows them maximum freedom and flexibility. Any patients self-testing or self-managing are always advised to communicate regularly with their healthcare professional.

  Anticoagulation self-monitoring devices are easy to use, only require a pin prick of blood and provide results in minutes, allowing the patient much greater freedom free from regular clinic visits.

  Get PST Aware builds on government initiatives introduced in 2000, to promote the movement of healthcare towards self care where appropriate, creating empowerment for the patient, and allowing for more efficient use of resources within the primary care setting in the long-term.

The Campaign Components

  The Get PST Aware Campaign will comprise a series of information materials and events for people on oral anticoagulation therapy, their carers and healthcare professionals:

• Information materials will be available online and via anticoagulation clinics, GP surgeries and community pharmacies.
• Get PST Aware events will be held in anticoagulation clinics around the country from September providing an opportunity for people on oral anticoagulation therapy to find out about and ask any questions about self-testing and the options available to them, including the chance to hear from individuals who are currently self-testing. The events will be run by independent healthcare professionals and people attending the events will be encouraged to speak to their own healthcare professional to ensure that they have all the necessary information available, to make their own informed decisions on the future management of their condition.
• The campaign will be supported by media coverage on local radio stations and in national, online and regional newspapers and magazines.

Information About Roche Diagnostics

  Roche Diagnostics are the UK’s leading provider of diagnostics which help individuals and the health professionals who care for them to detect, monitor and manage their medical condition more effectively. In this way, the company aims to improve the quality of life for millions of people, every day. Roche Diagnostics have had over 30 years experience of developing and providing Point of Care meters including devices for patient self monitoring in the field of anticoagulation therapy.