How do you like your Coaguchek XS?

[terodac]

I will be purchasing my INR machine soon, my doctor wants me to get this one because it is small and it can be taken everywhere plus he says it has good readings. I know some of you have this machine and I was wondering about how you liked it and where you purchased this machine? About how much does it cost? No insurance here straight out of pocket! Thanks!

 

[Eva]

Out of your pocket and outside insurance, it will cost you around $1500...this is what I was told by a couple of retailers + the price of the strips.

I am not sure how feasible it will be to buy it from Australia, but you can get it for $875 as I read it in Bridgette's post reply to Mark in http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?p=389862#post389862:

QUOTE:

Mark, for $1169 Australian dollars, plus $29.95 postage and packing, you get a pack including a brand new Coaguchek XS, 48 test strips, the Softclix lancing device, the manuals, DVD, a box of 50 lancets. That works out to about $875 USD.
This is a special for the month of May. Here's the link:

http://inrtest.com/index.php?main_pa...g3t1v2spp5k7f2

It looks like a very reputable company.

UNQUOTE.

I am still getting used to my Coagucheck XS. It is normal to take a while to any machine.

Good luck.

 

[lance]

Two thumbs up, way up .............

Two thumbs up, way up .............

for the "XS".
I've been using mine for more than 2 years, spouse has been using it since last year. It's easy to use, seems to not require as much blood, as my old "S"--I'm very happy with it. My only experience has been with the Coaguchek machines.

Sorry but I cannot help with cost. When I bought my "S" arrangements were made through the pharmacy in the hospital that trained me to use it. The "S broke down while under warranty the the "XS" came straight from Roche.

 

[catwoman]

Out of your pocket and outside insurance, it will cost you around $1500...this is what I was told by a couple of retailers + the price of the strips.

Not sure which retailers sell a CoaguChek for $1500. That's roughly the price for the medical profession. Price is usually $2500 for individuals, and that's what QAS sells it for. That's not to say you can't find one on the internet for less.
Sounds like your doctor has a CoaguChek XS and wants you to have the same machine.
My PCP's office has a CoaguChek XS. I have a HemoSense INRatio. It's small, has a nice carrying case, and I do travel with mine. I bought mine cash outright ($1,495 + charger + strips), then filed for reimbursement from my insurance company. My INR on the INRatio is almost identical to that on the CoaguChek XS; I ran a comparison in March and there was 0.2 difference, which might show up even with two consecutive tests on the same machine.

Good luck with your shopping expedition!

 

[mattwisconsin]

I am going to add my questions in here. I am waiting to hear how much my insurance will cover but debating between the CoaguChek XS and the Inratio II. My coumadin clinic uses the CoaguChek so I am tempted to go with that. However, from what I have read here, it seems like the testing strips will be more expensive. I know both are good machines, but with the future purchase of testing strips in mind, is there a reason to go with one over another?

 

[Eva]

Not sure which retailers sell a CoaguChek for $1500.

Good luck with your shopping expedition!

Marsha,

Phillips and Roche representative.

 

[netmiff]

Up here in Canada I believe they are on about $500 now, I got mine (Coaguchek XS) just over 15 months ago, it was listed at $1000, with a $500 coupon from Roche. However, you do need a prescription - at least here in Ontario you do.

It's the only one I have ever used, so can't help you with comparisons.

 

[catwoman]

Marsha,

Phillips and Roche representative.

That's good. Go for it!

 

[Jason]

I checked on my insurance to see if home INR is a possibility for me, as I would like to be able to take one when I travel for work as well as check more often than every month down the road. My insurance has a policy that I have to be on long-term anti-coagulation (which I will, mechanical valve) have been monitored for at least three months (which I have not, 1 month from surgery this week) and have been trained by a medical professional on using the machine. It all sounds good like I am a candidate. The only thing I am not sure of is whether or not the anti-coagulation clinic will train me on it! When I brought it up before surgery, they didn't seem too open to the idea. Hopefully I can change their minds! The lab here uses a CoaguChek XS, so I think that would be the way I would go, as well.

 

[bdryer]

Jason

Come up to Canada and buy your CoaguChek XS here. How does $500.00 sound? In the province of Alberta, London drugs and the Co-op sell the devices and do the training. Strips are about $10.00 each. Phone ahead as they will have to order the device in, should you elect on cross boarder shopping.

 

[texasmike]

Jason, Coagucheck will send a nurse out to train you. Mine was really good...had been doing it for a long time, and trained me in about 30 minutes.
Good luck!

 

[hook]

I have this machine, but my insurance paid for it. It works good with few errors, but the results are always about .4 over the lab draws. I have checked it against lab draws about 4 times and it has been consistantly .4 to .5 over.

I love having this devise; I am not comfortable with monthly testing.

 

[Protimenow]

Hook: I doubt that Roche would be pleased to hear that your meter is consistently .4 higher than the lab draws. You may try letting their customer service department know -- they may replace your strips, or perhaps swap meters with you. (Of course, if you are confident that there's ALWAYS a .4 difference, you can be pretty comfortable with your readings once you subtract the .4 from the value).

There are a few models of the XS - with one made specifically for home testers. I don't have an XS, so I can't answer a 'how do you like it' question about it. I DO like the fact that it delivers results pretty quickly, doesn't require a lot of blood, has quality control built into the strips, and the strips don't require refrigeration. These are all pluses as far as I'm concerned.

Personally, I have an InRatio (the original model). It also has the same strengths as the CoaguChek XS. There's a possible advantage that the InRatio has over the CoaguChek XS (though, not having an XS or using their strips, I can't confirm this) -- the InRatio will allow you to use 'expired' strips. Quality controls on the strips will detect any problems and issue an error message if the strip has a problem. This may be a useful feature if you have to buy 48 strips and don't test weekly -- the strips may expire before you can use them up.

If (when?) I get an XS, I may return to this forum and give my impressions of the meter.

 

[hook]

I have talked to Roche twice abou the issue and they gave me the same story both times. If the meter is within a 30% variance of a lab draw then that is acceptable. In my book that is BS, as 30% can be the difference between stoking out or bleeding out. The were not willing to change out the meter, but they sent me a box of strips. I was not pleased with this level of customer service.

The first call I made was to Inratio, since Alere forwarded me to them by mistake. They also told me there was an acceptable variance of 30%, but was willing to replace the machine with a new one until the realised I had the coagucheck. I was much more impressed with the Inratio customer service, but I don't know who has the best machine.

 

[Bina]

I have this machine, but my insurance paid for it. It works good with few errors, but the results are always about .4 over the lab draws. I have checked it against lab draws about 4 times and it has been consistantly .4 to .5 over.

I love having this devise; I am not comfortable with monthly testing.

.....and what makes you think that your particular lab draws are worthy of being compared to ?
Labs and home monitors use different testing reagents so there is no point in trying to chase after exact same
results. We have an INR "range" for just this reason.
Coaguchek XS monitors guarantee a maximum difference of .3 when compared to a lab and I have had the
experience that my lab just happens to test the exact same as when I use my monitor.
The Coaguchek XS monitor is equivalent to the INRatio 2.....both have many built in controls and quality checks; there
is no "tricking" those machines.
Roche Canada has given me superb customer service.

 

[Protimenow]

I had a nearly exact match between my old ProTime 3 and a hospital E.R. a year or so ago -- the E.R. got 2.92, the day before, my ProTime 3 got a 2.9.

It's NICE to be close -- but it's also good to have a meter with consistent (for it) results. If you fall too far above or below, it's always good to check with a lab, but for regular tests, when your INR is fairly stable, a meter with a RELIABLE difference is probably okay.

(FWIW: it's been reported that the higher the INR, the more inaccurate some meter readings will be -- the meters will report INRs higher than the labs. Again - if you get a high reading, it's always good to confirm with repeat tests or with a lab blood draw)

 

[Jason]

I may have to think about running to Canada, as it is only a few hours away from here, bdryer. As far as the difference between the lab and the machine, Except for a few times my INR lab uses the Coagucheck, so I would hope they are close to each other. The Roche propaganda on their website seemed to show a 97% correlation to the lab tests for actual machine tests; it is good to know that they only guarantee 30% range. I will come back and let you know what my situation turns out to be in a few months!

 

[Herb_Webb]

I just got one a few months ago. Love it. I got mine from Alere Home Monitoring which used to be Tapestry medical. Their website is www.coagnow.com. Cost of the machine was about $1500 retail but my insurance covered a bunch, so I was lucky. Also got lucky with the trainer that I got. He left me extra strips and supplies so I won't have to buy strips for 4 months whereas usually you get about a month or two supply.

JMO but I don't think lab results where I live are that reliable for INRs. Since they send them to another lab which is an hour away. If they don't do the test right away who knows how accurate those are. I like getting the result right away and testing weekly not monthly. Plus the strips are about $7 each as opposed to $30 for a lab test.

Best of luck
Herb

 

[Bina]

I may have to think about running to Canada, as it is only a few hours away from here, bdryer. As far as the difference between the lab and the machine, Except for a few times my INR lab uses the Coagucheck, so I would hope they are close to each other. The Roche propaganda on their website seemed to show a 97% correlation to the lab tests for actual machine tests; it is good to know that they only guarantee 30% range. I will come back and let you know what my situation turns out to be in a few months!

In ONtario you need a prescription and $500. to get a machine from a pharmacy approved by Roche.
Piece of cake.

Regarding the accuracy of the readings to a lab test. The acceptable difference is .3 (point 3)

So, if your lab blood test gives you an INR of 3.0
your meter may give you 3.3 or 3.0 or 2.7 ALL of which are in range readings.

Now, if your home monitor gives you a very high reading of 5.0 (ouch), then it is advised to go and get a
vein draw at a lab for verification. This has never happened to me, my INR is very stable and I behave

The Coaguchek XS is made in Europe and has been around for a long time; there is not much that I would trust
with my life, but I trust my machine.

 

[yotphix]

I chose the coaguchek in part because my ACT clinic was using one too. I have compared it twice with the lab and once it read .1 lower, the second time it read .6 lower, and out of range. I tested again and the XS was consistent so I decided to trust it rather than the lab draw. The third and final lab draw (in 18 months) I didn't test at the same time but a day later I was within .3 so close enough. I bought mine in Ontario too, also for 500 and including about a zillion of the little yellow lancets, and I think 12 or so strips. I buy the strips now online for about 4something per, 48 at a time and test weekly, or so. Last time I ordered them I first wrote to the company and asked for the expiry date and they responded within a day that they were good for more than a year so I bought.