St. Jude Medical, Inc. has entered into an exclusive marketing alliance with Raytel Cardiac Services to promote Raytel’s new INR@Home(SM) anticoagulation blood monitoring system:
All mechanical heart valve patients must take blood-thinning medication to reduce the risk of thrombosis and, as a result, must regularly monitor their anticoagulation. Raytel’s INR@Home system allows patients to self-test their anticoagulation levels at home rather than visiting a clinic or a laboratory.
Studies have demonstrated that patients who self-test on a regular schedule have fewer anticoagulation-related complications and stay within their therapeutic range more frequently than patients who do not self-test. Increased time in therapeutic range may lead to improved clinical outcomes.
“Patient self-testing should become the standard of care for mechanical heart valve patients,” said Richard J. Shemin, M.D., Professor and Chairman, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Boston Medical Center. “Self-testing encourages patients to be more active participants in their anticoagulation management, while reducing complications such as hemorrhage and thromboembolism. The Raytel system provides reliable technology and enhanced ease of use, with excellent tracking and reporting – clearly solving many of the logistical problems that hampered previous self-testing efforts.”
More info from Raytel Medical Corporation…