The patients' perspective of international normalized ratio self-testing, remote communication of test results and confidence to move to self-management.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To elicit the perceptions of patients, who self-tested their international normalized ratio and communicated their results via a text or phone messaging system, to determine their satisfaction with the education and support that they received and to establish their confidence to move to self-management. BACKGROUND: Self-testing of international normalized ratio has been shown to be reliable and is fast becoming common practice. As innovations are introduced to point of care testing, more research is needed to elicit patients' perceptions of the self-testing process. DESIGN: This three site study used a cross-sectional prospective descriptive survey. METHODS: Three hundred and thirty patients who were prescribed warfarin and using international normalized ratio self-testing were invited to take part in the study. The anonymous survey examined patient profile, patients' usage, issues, perceptions, confidence and satisfaction with using the self-testing system and their preparedness for self-management of warfarin dosage. RESULTS: The response rate was 57% (n = 178). Patients' confidence in self-testing was high (90%). Patients expressed a high level of satisfaction with the support received, but expressed the need for more information on support groups, side effects of warfarin, dietary information and how to dispose of needles. When asked if they felt confident to adjust their own warfarin levels 73% agreed. Chi-squared tests for independence revealed that none of the patient profile factors examined influenced this confidence. The patients cited the greatest advantages of the service were reduced burden, more autonomy, convenience and ease of use. The main disadvantages cited were cost and communication issues. CONCLUSION: Patients were satisfied with self-testing. The majority felt they were ready to move to self-management. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The introduction of innovations to remote point of care testing, such as warfarin self-testing, needs to have support at least equal to that provided in a hospital setting.

Patients' perceptions of information and support received from the nurse specialist during HCV treatment.

AIM: To identify patients' perceptions of support received from the nurse specialist during Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment. BACKGROUND: HCV is a worldwide health problem. However, it is a treatable disease and treatment success rates are high. Unfortunately, treatment comes with a multitude of adverse side effects and patients require informational and psychological support from specialist nurses while on treatment. To date, there is little nursing research on support received from this specialist nursing care. DESIGN: This study used a quantitative descriptive design. METHOD: A 59-item questionnaire collected data from 106 patients with a diagnosis of HCV attending a HCV outpatient clinic. RESULTS: Overall, patients were very satisfied with support received. Advice on contraception was well received. However, many patients did not feel supported with regard to advice on sleep management. There were no statistically significant differences between overall satisfaction and gender, age, genotype and risk factor. However, there were significant correlations found between support received and reported genotype. Those patients presenting with genotype 1, who are mostly infected through blood or blood products, indicated that they require more support in relation to information on side effects of treatment, quality of life and support groups. Specific approaches to support and advice for this cohort may need to be incorporated into current services. CONCLUSION: Results of this study reinforce the need for the ongoing use of specialist nurse services and development of this service where no such facilities exist. In addition, the service may need to further recognise and support the information and psychological needs of patients with differing modes of HCV infection. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Findings provide information to practising nurse specialists about patient's views of information and support received from nurse specialists in HCV treatment centres and identify where deficits exist.

Elevated serum levels of interferon- gamma -inducible protein-10 in patients coinfected with hepatitis C virus and HIV.

Coinfection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is associated with an accelerated course of HCV infection and a faster progression to severe liver disease. We have investigated whether the development of liver disease in coinfected patients is associated with specific chemokine and cytokine production. Four cohorts--HCV/HIV-coinfected patients, HCV-monoinfected patients, HIV-monoinfected patients, and healthy control subjects--were studied. Serum levels of the 10-kDa interferon- gamma -inducible protein (IP-10) were higher in all 3 groups of infected patients than in control subjects (P<.0001). HCV/HIV-coinfected patients had significantly higher IP-10 levels than monoinfected patients. In HCV-monoinfected patients, liver fibrosis scores and liver enzyme levels were positively correlated with IP-10 levels. Elevated IP-10 levels are associated with and may contribute to liver damage in both HCV-monoinfected and HCV/HIV-coinfected patients.