Lab VS Home testing
Lab VS Home testing
I think most doctors in my area are against home testing because they have little or no information or experience with it. My husband was recently hospitalized and I stayed with him around the clock. None of the people who drew blood were aware of home testing machines. Of the 13 nurses we encountered, only one had even heard of home monitors. Two emergency room docs, at different hospitals, were also in the dark. The same can be said for the neurologist and for the doc who did his colonoscopy.
My husband has his machine because I found it on the net and because I am a "titanic" pain in the neck. When I first brought the info to his cardio last year, he called it a "toy." After my husband had several problems with getting his lab results, and after there were several problems with coumadin dosages, the cardio signed the prescription. (He has 11 partners. When he was not in office, his partners would interpret the lab results. Hubby's target range is 3.0-4.0 because of strokes. One doc reduced his dose by l.0 when the lab result was 2.9.) The cardio really beat me up about wanting the machine. I remember when he screamed, "We spend more than $l00,00. a year dealing with anti-coagulation...."
We decided to have our internist deal with anti-coagulation for us. It's worked out well. Now, we have one nurse to deal with and one doctor making decisions. But, since this post was about home testing and money, this is the kicker.........When we visited the cardiologist's office for the six month exam, we found that he and his 11 partners now have their own anti-coagulation clinic, complete with at least five of machines that he had previously dismissed as "toys." When I told him I had peeked into the coumadin clinic, I also said "nice toys." You should have heard him praising the machines. He didn't tell me how much he was making from the "toys", but he did comment that he was saving "many, many thousands a year."