[Diabetes-talk] Inconsistent Readings with the Prodigy

[Mike Freeman]

Lucy:

You'll get a range of opinions on this subject.  Here is mine.

Absolutely every glucose meter on the market today gives erroneous readings occasionally.  In fact, the FDA is sufficiently worried about the accuracy of meters designed for home use but often used in hospitals that it is putting pressure on the meter industry to increase the accuracy of glucose meters which, in fact, are only required to be accurate to within twenty percent in any case.  The reason you don't hear more about this is that sighted persons can easily tell when there isn't enough blood on the test strip; this is usually the cause of inaccurate readings.  Also, blind persons (especially those new to the game) tend to smear the blood, resulting in too little blood on the strip.

The remedy, of course. with most meters (including the Prodigy Voice) is to just take another reading if the one just taken doesn't make sense.  It's another nuisance of blindness.

On the other hand, there's a new talking meter, the Solo V2, which does warn of errors and insufficient blood on the strip.  One must still take another reading since strips aren't reuseable.  Moreover, the Solo isn't quite fully accessible in that there is no Say Display key and when reviewing readings from memory, the times of readings aren't spoken (the date is spoken) though both are shown on the display.  I understand these deficiencies will be corrected in an updated version.  Until then, I still recommend the Prodigy Voice.

HTH!

Mike Freeman, DAN President

On Nov 2, 2010, at 12:22, "Lucy.Alexander Mercer" <Lucy.Alexander.Mercer at tn.gov> wrote:

> Hi, list!  I work as a Rehabilitation Instructor and from time to time purchase talking glucometers for clients.  Our agency policy is that Instructors do not teach clients how to use these devices but ask that home health or nurses or other med professionals provide that type of instruction.  I also do not have diabetes; thus, although I have some appreciation for the effort needed to manage diabetes, I cannot sympathize and am still in the learning process.  
> Recently, I met a lady 70+ years-old who has lost her vision during the past six months due to episodes of extremely low blood sugar.  She got a reading of 70 with the Prodigy when the actual reading was 25.  She ended up hospitalized in a coma and is now scared the Prodigy is not accurate and will not use it.  How often do meters give incorrect readings?  Has anyone had this issue with the Prodigy?  what can be done to minimize such events?  I would really like to be able to offer her some genuine assurance that the Prodigy or other accessible glucometer will provide accurate info on a consistent basis.
> 
> Thanks,
> Lucy 
> 
> 
> 
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