Find a personal pick for a glucose meter
When you get diabetes, blood sugar meters will become your best friend. So choose your friends and your meters wisely! If you want to study your options before deciding which model to buy, then this is a good blog for you.
First thing first: Identify what you want out of a glucose meter. Are you an on the go entrepreneur? Are you a cyclist trying to reach peak performance? Do you lose your glasses often and can’t see? How do you watch over an aging parent for a peace of mind?
Once you know what you want, now choose between the 88 meters on the market. Maybe the choice is made for you and if Your health insurance will choose your Brand of glucose meter and that is what you will use regardless of anything else. You still can get your own meter. Some insurance providers limit coverage to specific models or limit the total number of test strips allowed. So many people with diabetes will also pay out of pocket for more strips and another meter. There has been an explosion of free glucose meters with online giveaways and businesses that offer monthly subscriptions. Some places will offer monthly subscription by using their app and other will enroll you in a diabetes coaching as well. So you must consider the additional costs. From experience, The coaching probably is not real passionate, down to earth and personalized, like what I offer at Evolve Diabetes. I do not try to sell things either. But I can help you out better than that because I am sold in my loyalty to a certain brand. I can guide you to the glucose meter that will function the way that fits you best. I also keep abreast of all of the special programs out there and I can guide you to any one of them if you are interested in those.
Key features when choosing a glucose meter can be categorized as:
Accuracy:
A glucose reading on your meter of 80, could actually be 64 or 96.
Did you know that there was actually a difference in the accuracies of glucose meters? Some glucose meters have Better accuracy Then others. If you want more information on the accuracy of meters, then please go to the educational diabetes webinars at evolvediabetes.org. I highly suggest this especially if you are having irratic numbers or using insuiln .
Cost: Meters can range in costs from $9 to $149. Most are around $20.
You may want to find the meter with the Best insurance coverage or the Lowest self pay cost. Be sure to factor in the cost of the test strip. The cost of a glucose meter does not compare to the cost of the strip. Don’t be fooled by The cost of the glucose meter, Because the cost of a glucose meter strips will affect your monthly Diabetes costs. And the strips can vary from as well as $.15 to 1.50 each.
Ease of use and maintenance:
Some meters are easier to use than others.
How big is the meter?
Is it easily portable in a pocket or a purse?
Are both the meter and test strips comfortable and easy to hold?
Can you easily see the numbers on the screen?
How easy is it to get blood onto the strips (especially in an emergency)? H
ow big a drop of blood is required (and how good your circulation)?
Is there alternative site monitoring which allow for blood samples to be taken from areas less like to be painful than your finger?
What kind of battery does it use?
Special features for your specific needs. Special features may include:
Size and portability: Do you want it small to fit in your pocket or big so that it is easier to easy-to-handle buttons and test strips?
Hearing issues: Color coding of blood sugar readings / ways to connect to phone to connect to hearing aids.
Vision issues: Loud audio
llluminated screens with a backlight for reading
Illumination for a port light for test strips
Language issues: Multilingual
Circulation issues: Alternative site and small blood samples
ADDITIONAL Functions:
Measures both blood pressure and blood sugar
Measures both ketones and blood sugar
Logs insulin dose with blood sugars (using an insulin InPen)
Information storage and retrieval. Many meters store around 450 to 500 past blood glucose results. Consider how the meter stores and retrieves information. Some can track everything you'd normally write in a log, such as the time and date of a test, the result, and trends over time. Some meters offer the ability to share your readings in real time with your doctor with a smartphone app. Or some may offer the option to download your blood glucose readings to a computer or cellphone, then email the test results to your doctor.
Features may include:
Compatible with smartphone app made for this meter
Can save data to the cloud without having to push the data to another device
Can be downloaded manually on the computer
Cellular connectivity
Sold only with an insulin pump
Support:
What is the easiest way to get the information to your doctor? Which meters do the work for you?
What syncs up and connects with your type of smartphone?
What are the options to look at how your blood sugar correlates with other activities and food?
Does it connect to a diabetes educator or a diabetes coach?
Glucose testing has come a long way since my grandpa used only his urine to test his sugars in the 60’s.The first glucose meter was used in the 1970s with the Dextrostix, but its precision and accuracy were poor. By the mid-1970s, the concept of patients using blood glucose data at home was contemplated, and by 1980, the Dextrometer was launched; this meter used the Dextrostix along with a digital display. Now there are more blood glucose options than Lady Gaga has shoes. If you want help finding a personalized pick for your glucose meter, then just let me know and I can help you out.
If you are interested in more technology talk, go to my blogs about use of CGMS and apps with phones.
