title: The ease of use and reproducibility of the Alere™ Heart Check System: a comparison of patient and healthcare professional measurement of BNP.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to examine the ease of use and the reproducibility of a novel point-of-care BNP measurement system when used by patients and healthcare providers (HCP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with symptomatic heart failure were recruited from outpatient clinics at four hospitals. They were provided with brief training and instructional material for the use of the point-of-care BNP measurement system. Finger-prick blood BNP concentration was measured by the HCP and the patient (n = 150). Ease of use and reproducibility of the system were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 80% of the 164 patients who completed a questionnaire on the ease of use of the system found it easy to operate. There was excellent correlation of BNP measurement compared between patients and HCP (r = 0.966; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients find the Alere Heart Check BNP measurement system easy to operate. BNP concentration measurements obtained by patients show excellent correlation with those obtained by healthcare providers.
authors.affiliation: Scottish Advanced Heart Failure Service, Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Agamemnon Street, Clydebank, Glasgow, G81 4DY, UK.
authors.forename: Ninian N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Chih M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Jonathan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Dalzell
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jansz
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Leslie
authors.forename: Roy S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Gardner
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain
keywords: BNP; heart failure; home monitoring