ABSTRACT
Introduction: The Anticoagulation Forum and the CDC recommend drive-up INR testing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient perceptions and impact on patient attendance have not been studied. Research Question or Hypothesis: Does drive-up INR testing impact patient attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic? How is it perceived? How long should drive-up INR testing continue? Study Design: Cross-sectional cohort study surveying pharmacistmanaged anticoagulation clinic patients, with retrospective medical record analysis of appointment volume. Methods: Patients attending the anticoagulation clinic via drive-up or in-office visits were surveyed from May 27 - July 2, 2020. Patients tested off-site were excluded. Study endpoints included monthly patient volume, and visit type preference, INR testing barriers, desired drive-up INR testing duration, and overall clinic satisfaction from the survey. Clinic appointment volume from October 2019 - June 2020 was collected retrospectively through schedule review. SPSS 24 (Chicago: IBM Corporation) was used for analysis. Results: Sixty-four (80%) of 80 surveys offered were completed. Twenty-eight (47%) of patients preferred drive-up testing, sixteen (26%) indifferent, and sixteen (26%) preferred in-office visits. Fortysix and twenty-seven percent of respondents identified reduced COVID-19 transmission risk and ease of transportation as benefits of drive up INR testing, respectively. Thirty-five (59%) wanted drive-up testing to continue indefinitely. Patient satisfaction before and after drive up testing remained high at 2.75 on a scale of 0-3. March and April clinic volumes were 19% and 22% below average, respectively, returning to baseline after drive-up testing was implemented. Conclusion: Drive-up INR testing improves patient attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient perception of drive-up testing is positive. The large percentage of patients who want drive-up testing to continue indefinitely suggest this as a potential method to allay barriers to routine monitoring beyond the scope of the pandemic.