Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026

E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
A prospective controlled study of a computer-assisted acenocoumarol dosage program
Fernando Marco1, Carmen Sedano, Arancha Bermúdez
1Servicio de Hematología del Hospital Universitario 'Marqués de Valdecilla', Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain. fmarco@telefonica.net
Abstract:
The increase in oral anticoagulant (OA) treatment has led to development of new strategies for its control. We tested the efficacy of the GAO software (Dade Behring) in providing adequate acenocoumarol dosages for patients whose international normalised ratios (INRs) were no more than 0.5 points out of range. From December 1998 to August 1999, all outpatients in this setting were randomly assigned to receive computer-generated or traditionally fixed OA doses. Patients in their first 4 weeks of treatment were excluded. Overall, 8352 dosages were calculated by the computer and 7586 by the medical staff. The main endpoint of the study was the time spent in target INR range. The computer matched the traditional dosing, achieving a small but statistically significant greater efficacy in maintaining patients within the INR target range. The percentage of INR determinations over 5.5 was very low in both groups. Our results validate the computerised acenocoumarol dosing in our centre, achieving at least similar levels of effectiveness and safety compared with traditional dosage by medical staff.
Related Concept Videos
Dosage Regimens: Designs and Approaches
Dosage Regimen Designs: Nomograms and Tabulations
Drug Dosage Regimen: Overview
Typically, the starting dose and dosing interval are guided by the manufacturer's recommendations based on clinical trials conducted during and after drug...
Dosage Regimen: Fixed Dose
Fixed-dose regimens can be used for various routes of administration, including intravenous (IV) injections and oral medications. For IV administration, a predetermined amount of the drug is...
Bioavailability Study Design: Healthy Subjects Versus Patients
Bioavailability Study Design: Single Versus Multiple Dose Studies