Journal of thrombosis and haemostasis : JTH
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J. Thromb. Haemost. · Aug 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialRandomized controlled trial of supervised patient self-testing of warfarin therapy using an internet-based expert system.
Increased frequency of prothrombin time testing, facilitated by patient self-testing (PST) of the International Normalized Ratio (INR) can improve the clinical outcomes of oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT). However, oversight of this type of management is often difficult and time-consuming for healthcare professionals. This study reports the first randomized controlled trial of an automated direct-to-patient expert system, enabling remote and effective management of patients on OAT. ⋯ The use of an internet-based, direct-to-patient expert system for the management of PST improves the control of OAT as compared with AMS management.