Point of care monitors for oral anticoagulant therapy

Over recent years, the use of portable coagulation monitors for prothrombin time-International Normalized Ratio (PT-INR) testing has been gaining popularity. Their advantages over traditional methods of monitoring include ease of use, short test duration, faster turnaround time for dosage changes, increased patient convenience by eliminating the need to go to the laboratory for venipuncture, and increased patient-provider interaction. Portable coagulation monitors for PT-INR testing are currently used in various settings, such as anticoagulation clinics, physician offices, at the patient's bedside in hospital wards, and independently by patients at home. Numerous studies have addressed the suitability of these monitors as alternatives to traditional laboratory testing. Various point of care (POC) coagulation monitors have been developed, and many models are commercially available in the United States. Because technology differs among the various devices, accuracy and precision need to be determined for individual devices. The various devices cannot be used interchangeably, and individual device performance cannot be generalized.