The market for home healthcare devices is growing at a steady clip, and Roche ($RHHBY) is wise to the trend. The Swiss diagnostics giant is launching its PT/INR home self-testing device in Europe, building out its offerings while potentially improving care for patients on anticoagulant therapy.
The Basel-based company's CoaguChek INRange system helps patients and doctors monitor coagulation and response to Vitamin K Antagonist (VKA) therapy. CoaguChek INRange, which includes Bluetooth technology, could offer an advantage over the current standard of care.
Patients on VKA therapy usually have to visit the hospital or a doctor's office for PT/INR testing done with a needle, and then wait up to 2-3 days for lab results. Roche's system uses a fingerstick and 60-second test to generate results, the company said in a statement, which could cut down on lab visits.
The system could also help improve adherence and outcomes for patients. Data show that self-testing has been linked to individuals spending more time at normal INR levels and lower rates of stroke or bleeding, Roche said.
"In a clinical environment, we need to establish a model of care that empowers patients, helping them to understand their health condition and allowing them to take responsibility of their own health care needs," Juan Carlos Souto, a doctor at the Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona, Spain, said in a statement. "The new technology will enable us to access the test results in the clinic's database, to keep track of the individual patient's status and to measure the quality of care provided by our clinic."
Roche's home testing device could also facilitate communication between doctors and patients, Roche said. And data suggest that individuals who have a strong link to their physician better adhere to anticoagulant treatment.
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| Roland Diggelmann, COO of Roche Diagnostics Global--Courtesy of Roche |
"As healthcare systems face continued pressure to deliver improved access to care at a lower cost, increased connectivity between HCPs and patients becomes even more important," Roche Diagnostics COO Roland Diggelmann said in a statement. "This is another proof point towards our aim to position patient self-testing as the standard of care to monitor VKA therapy."
- read the statement