The self-test Poll has indicated that only 23.08% have taken up the offer of the free excel spreadsheet to record your INR, that produces a graph of your results and show your target percentage range. If you have completed the poll that you self-test could you answer the following questions?
1. Do you have excel?
2. If yes, why do you not want the free excel spreadsheet?
3. If I completed the excel spreadsheet, would you send me your INR results?
4. Not interested.
1. Yes
2. Because I have my own which has been updated each week for 14 years
3. Not necessary but thanks
4. Yes. very interested in monitoring and recording my INR results vs my warfarin dosage. It gives me good, personal, historical data to refer to if in doubts but sadly my GP, cardiologist, pharmacist and anti-coag clinic are totally disinterested in it.
Hi PBirt,
Thank you for responding and totally understand. Does your excel spreadsheet workout your therapeutic time range or just count the number of times you are in range? I am hoping more members will start recording their results and this could help some members to show their GP how often their INR is in range. This may help in their case to self-test and self-manage,
It seems a pity that some of the medical profession seem disinterested, as data recorded can be useful to prove how well your therapy in working. I took part in a study with the Primary Care Clinical Sciences at the University of Birmingham and my study reading matched my TR and TTR in my excel spreadsheets.
Yes, I set it up to indicate TR and TTR. To be fair to the medics and as encouragement to others trying to persuade sceptical GPs I did run the spreadsheet of my Coaguchek results for almost a year alongside the Anticoag clinic result to demonstrate good correlation and this convinced my GP to support my wish to self manage.
1. yes
2. I already have the one you sent me, but will download this one if it makes any difference
3. Am interested, am using it have yet to talk to the GP as am monitored at the hospital
Hi mumknowsbest
Thank you for your comments, which were very helpful. No, the excel spreadsheet I sent only records Therapeutic range (TR) and plots a graph. The new spreadsheet called Therapeutic Time Range (TTR) will work out how well your warfarin therapy works. I always recommend that members to speak to whoever provides their anticoagulation management. However, to do this you do need to understand how your therapy works and this is where the excel spreadsheets helps.
I know from personal experiences of suffering a another pulmonary embolus after being sub therapeutic (warfarin too low) and afterspending 3 days in hospital, decided to look after my own well-being by self-testing and self-dosing, even if I did not get the support of my GP. Luckily, he has been marvellous and supported me all the way.
1. Yes
2. I have my own macro based spreadsheet that I have all my results on
3. No as I write a lot of additional relevant personal and health information on the spreadsheet as well
4. I am interested especially as I self-dose as well as self-test.
Hi travel nut,
Thank you for your response and comments. Not all members have our computer skill especially in writing macros. I would be very interested in your program and would you consider sending me a copy at peveshome@btinternet.com.
My new Therapeutic Time Range (TTR) spreadsheet will record how well your warfarin therapy is working, rather than just recording how many times you were in range. Please send me your email and I'll send you a copy of the TTR spreadsheet to evaluate.
1: Yes
2: Because my local PCT do not encourage self-testing and have already refused me
3: Yes, but it would only relate to hospital tests
Hi gizmomaven,
Thank you for your comments, if you send me your hospital results (Date, INR and your Therapeutic Range i.e. 2 - 3 or 2.5 - 3.5) to peveshome@btinternet.com, I will produce you your own spreadsheet that you then can fill in yourself.
We can look at your answer at question 2 after you receive your spreadsheet.
I would like to say thank you to everyone who has responded and will reply to you all. Those who already have the INR excel spreadsheet, this is not an update but have a written new spreadsheet that will work out your Therapeutic Time Range, which is more important than knowing how many times you are in range.
The new excel spreadsheet tracks the effect of your warfarin therapeutic time range (TTR) against recording the number of times you are within your therapeutic range (TR) I entered a friends INR results into the two spreadsheets and the result showed he had an 88% (38) TR, which is very good but also had 5 (12%) below TR, which meant he was subtherapeutic, which would give me cause for concern. Now put his data into the TTR spreadsheet and he only achieves a TTR of 62%, which is not so good and explains the importance of knowing your TTR. Will need to do some trials, so any excel experts who could help to test it, I would appreciate your help. Please send me your email address so I can send you the TTR spreadsheet to test. This is not suitable for inexperience excel users, as it uses visual basic code in Mac but will need your help later when we test the Form.
Standard reminder
Just to remind everybody that people using this forum are not qualified medically and everything is based on personal experience.
The excel spreadsheet is a very valuable tool, however if you have any serious concerns over your results or time in range then you should speak to whoever provides your anticoagulation management.
I'd be delighted to evaluate your spreadsheet. Thanks. My email address is k.hambly@kent.ac.uk
I expect it's on my machine somewhere but I do not know how to use Excell, sorry!
Hi woodie,
I would be willing to help you learn more about excel. You only need a basic understanding of excel and I could then make you a Form for you to enter your INR results in!
1. Do you uses Windows or Mac?
2. Do you use Word?
Depending on your answers, I will blog your next question!
I just lost the first answer I wrote, try again. Thanks for the offer, I do not have a machine yet to check my own results and am thinking about getting one. My machine is Windows 7, and the programme is called Writer. Open Office I think its called. I do have a book about Windows 7 so if I put my mind to it I expect I could learn about Excell but am not very good with figures.
You don't need to have a INR monitor or be good at figures as the spreadsheet does all the work for you. As long as you have your date and INR readings we can make it work. Maybe if you would like to email me your INR readings and dates with your Therapeutic Range i.e. 2 - 3 or 2.5 - 3.5 etc, I will enter your reading into the spreadsheet and email you how many times you are within your therapeutic range, if that helps.
Open office normally comes with excel but unless you use it, it will not appear on your desktop.
It would be better if we communicated by email for getting your windows 7 to find your excel program and I will take you from there. Email me at peveshome@btinternet.com.
Regards
Peter
Ho Peter
1.Yes
2.I cannot see any benefit to myself, my current personal record systems are working well.
3.No.
4.Yes, but it is a good idea if you have a use for it.
Hi firemansam - I developed my own Excel spreadsheet with Macros when I got DVT in the USA and my MD was very interested. Ten years on now, in the UK, have major PEs and Warfarin was all over the place. So bought my own machine to monitor. GP doesn't like it, but frankly I am going to do it regardless and they are letting me self-dose a bit. Now the first time since diagnosis of PEs in August, my INR is bang on target with 3.6 today. They asked me what I should take this evening as their computer programme is not based on my dosing only on theirs and only one person can override it. I would be very interested in your spreadsheet - and have advanced Excel. Sadly my one in the USA was left there. I will email you with my address and am happy to share whatever. I am on 17 mg Warfarin per day on a therapeutic range of 3. to 4.
Hi, great to hear from someone else interested in monitoring their INR. I'm afraid my excel spreadsheet does not run on macros but would be interested in any improvements on my very simple excel spreadsheet. People who take warfarin whether self-testing or not should be interested in their therapeutic time range, as this tells them how well the warfarin is working in mean time. The Gold Standard for INR testing is 60% but with self-testing and self-dosing you could achieve around 90% therapeutic range. So I also have a spreadsheet that works out the mean time of therapeutic time range and both are simple to follow. I must confess until now that nobody has asked for the spreadsheet for a therapeutic range between 3 and 4 so I'll need to adjust the spreadsheet for this range.
Anyone still interested in finding out their therapeutic range or their therapeutic time range can send me their dates, INR result and their therapeutic range and I'll send them their results. The information does not have to be in excel. My email address is peveshome@btinternet.com.
My local area wont allow slef testing. When I asked Stockport anticoag servie they told that they have over 4000 patients with only a very small number self testing. When I asked how many i was told less than 50!!!
I have AF and in my 40s and dont want to be going into my GP/Hospital every other week!
Hello,
Yes I do have Excel and would be interested in your spreadsheet.I only started to take Warfarin on the 18th. of Feb.So not many INR readings recorded yet.In addition I still need to find out why there is such a large discrepancy between my Coagucheck XS readings and the ones from the Laboratory at the hospital.So far I made two comparisons.
1st.: Selftest INR=2.4 Labtest INR=1.7
2nd. Selftest INR=2.5 Labtest INR=1.6
I just wonder if anyone using the Coagucheck XS for self testing had a similar experience.
HI
I also self test. Each time i have my Coaguchek xs checked, {which is twice a year at my local hospital} the results are the same. Its done using my Coag xs, & the hospitals Coag xs machine. Sample of blood at the same time. You mention yours was a lab test, was this done at the same time as your Coag xs test, finger prick.Or was the lab test done by a needle out of your arm? From my experience,blood samples for INR taken out of the arm, are usually lower, than a finger prick sample.Not sure why.I have come across many Phlebotomists who say that arm samples from a needle are more accurate, So the two different ways as far as i am concerned should not be used.Stick to one or the other.
Hope this helps you.
Hello Firemansam,
I realise that this post is 2 years old but I am new to ACE, AF Association and Warfarin and would welcome all the help and advice I can get. I intend to self monitor although there is no support available in my CCG area (my GP didn't know that you could self test). Also, the local Pathology Services Manager says "Over testing may actually be misleading and cause unnecessary dosage changes", why does he assume that self testers will over test? To get to the point, I was wondering if your excel program was still available and, if so, could I obtain a copy.
Thank you.
Hi, Following on from No_choice's post, if it is available my I too please have a copy!!
Coagulation screen test
Self Testing INR management - Borough of Hackney. 
On warfarin and test strips being cut
