If you have the Enterprise version of Dawn AC where you can change the settings that control dose changes, dose instructions or the next test intervals, please ensure that you thoroughly validate your changes over a full range of INR results before you proceed to use your settings on patients.

Even the smallest error in the settings can cause an inappropriate instruction to be issued for a patient.

Last Dose Change Failed Warning

Dawn AC, with the default settings, produces a warning such that if an INR is not within the target plus or minus 0.8 after a dose change, a warning is produced. What does this mean? Has the patient complied with the dose change? I would suggest when this warning appears that the patient is quizzed on what tablets they are taking.

Possible Interaction Between Warfarin And Cranberry Juice

See the British Medical Journal - BMJ, Dec 2003; 327: 1454. Click on http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/search?fulltext=cranberry&volume=327&issue=7429

for more details.

11^th Annual User Group 2003 24^th/25^th November 2003 – Presentations

The presentation PowerPoint slides are now available on our website under the Latest News section. Within a few days I hope to publish the proceedings on the web site as well, so please see http://www.4s-dawn.com/dawnac

Special Offers to Customers until 29^th February 2004

Several products have been reduced in price for existing customers, varying from 15 to 30% depending on the product, for orders received and invoiced by the 29^th February 2004. Please call for further details. Future special offers depend on increased sales numbers, so please try to take advantage of this round of special offers.

Webview Version 1.0

Dawn Webview is now available. This will allow read only access to Dawn AC via a web browser. This would be useful for example for out of hours access, GP access, and Ward or Emergency Dept. access. There is a 50% discount for purchases made before the 29^th February 2004.

EAA Trial Partners Wanted

The European Action Anticoagulation trial to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of anticoagulation care by computer aided versus manually operated anticoagulation services is still open for partners. This trial will compare clinical end points between the modes of operation. If you are interested in participating in this potentially landmark trial please let me know as soon as possible.

Please note that there are several advantages to joining the trial:

Opportunity to co-operate with European expert centres and also some expert centres outside the EU.

Free DAWN AC Trial version software and training for up to 500 patients;

Attendance at meetings of all participants at least once per year;

EAA Newsletter and advice from EAA Central Facility, Manchester

On going quality assurance of PT system at 6-month intervals;

ISI calibration of PT test system each year by provision of test system and analysis;

Information exchange and updates from EAA Central Facility.

Please email me at syd@4s-dawn.com if you are interested.

Benchmarking Run October 2003

The benchmarking reports are currently at the printers and we hope to despatch them in the next two weeks or so. This run had 71 sites with 151,000 patients and

1,100, 000 INRs.

Thank you to the 55 customers that completed the anticoagulation reason classification that will help produce a supplementary report to be issued in early February. This supplementary report will attempt to adjust the % time in ranges for patient mix - age, sex and disease grouping at each participating centre. We will also report on the day-to-day variation in the % INRs in range and the mean INR to show any drift or step change in INR control.

Dawn AC Version 6.06 Reminder

Version 6.06 has now been released. Please see October’s newsletter on our web site for details.

The upgrade is now available at http://www.4s-dawn.com/dawnac for those on Version 6.03 or later. Look under Latest News.

Syd Stewart

End of Newsletter

“We Really Care"

“Dawn AC is an easy to use, adaptable, powerful, and comprehensive PC based Anticoagulation Software System. It covers the complete oral anticoagulation life cycle with Induction and Maintenance Modules “

“Lancet Nov 7th 1998, Multi-centred Randomised Trial using Dawn AC shows computer aided dosage leads to INR control 20 to 30% better than medical experts”

Dawn AC Anticoagulation E-Newsletter January 2004

Topics in this Dawn AC E-Newsletter