TAHomeCheck is an important part of the move of our products from secondary care into the community. We’ve started with INR (warfarin) monitoring, so it’s worth clarifying what can be done to facilitate INR monitoring.
Near-testing – that’s when someone’s not capable or confident enough to test themselves, so someone like a community nurse will call in and help with the test, and then send the test result to TAHomeCheck for it to be checked;
Self-testing – that’s when someone’s confident to do the test for themselves and send the result to TAHomeCheck;
And finally self-monitoring – when, in the case of INR, not only is someone confident enough to test themselves but also to alter their medication themselves. Their result can still go to TAHomeCheck though, along with the details of their changed dose, so there’s a record their GP can refer to.
In case you’re wondering, the video on the right refers to self-testing.
For our first TAHomeCheck project we’re going to be helping with the near-testing of people in a number of care homes in South of Tyne & Wear. Community matrons are going to visit people in the care homes, and help them with their INR testing. The result will be entered into TAHomeCheck using mobile connected tablets the matrons will have. In addition to the INR value it’ll be possible for the matrons to compete a simple questionnaire and send that to TAHomeCheck. That extra information helps the clinician to form a view as to how the patient’s dose might need changing.
If any of the results are out of range and warrant a closer look, TAHomeCheck automatically notifies a clinician. Most results – over 60% – are OK, but some need to be escalated for dose changes or other intervention.
The important thing about this service is that the pinprick blood testing means patients don’t have to go anywhere to have their bloods drawn, and then wait for the test to be analysed in the laboratory. It’s all quicker and easier, and they can be confident that because their result’s in TAHomeCheck, the right people will get to see it.
Want to know more? Download the TAHomeCheck brochure.