[Diabetes-talk] Talking Blood Glucose Meters

[Mike Freeman]

There are a number of blood glucose meters that talk to some extent.  The Companion, CleverCheck and Prodigy Autocode come to mind.  however, they are most emphatically *not* fully accessible (that's different from just specifying that the meters talk) in the sense that they often only voice the current reading which cannot be repeated verbally and one cannot verbally review readings from memory, hear averages or set time and date without sighted assistance.  Currently, there are only two readily-available, fully-accessible blood glucose meters although what appears to me to be a Prodigy Voice knockoff, the VocalPoint, may be available soon as will another possible Prodigy Voice knockoff, the Fora.  The two fully-accessible meters currently available are the aforementioned Prodigy Voice, made by Diagnostic Devices, Inc., and the Solo V2, made by BioSense.  Each has advantages and disadvantages.  Obviously, you must decide for yourself which of these loom large in your evaluation.

The Prodigy Voice is fully accessible; every function on it speaks and all functions can be performed by a blind person without sighted assistance.  When reviewing readings from the memory, both time and date of each reading are spoken.  Anything shown on the display can be spoken as often as one desires with a simple button-press.  It is the meter I use.

The Prodigy Voice has several disadvantages.  How important these are you must decide for yourself.  First, the controls on the Voice are relatively distinct and raised from the meter case surface.  This is an advantage for those with dexterity problems.  But this also results in the Voice being easily activated accidentally, especially when one considers that the meter comes with a rather-cheaply-made soft case which, frankly, I do not use; I put meter, lancet device, extra lancets, extra batteries and insulin needles in a small make-up bag.  Second, there is no definitive indication when too little blood has been placed on the strip.  The only way one really knows is that the reading is out-of-line for what one expects, being either too low or too high.  The obvious work-around is to take a second reading.  Third, the computer software used to transfer meter readings to a computer is inaccessible using either JAWS or Window-eyes.  Hence, one really ought to keep a log by hand of readings (something I think diabetics should do anyway).

The Solo V2 also speaks the current readings and readings from memory.  Unlike the Prodigy Voice, it can be made to speak readings in Spanish.  Also unlike the Prodigy Voice, it has extra electrodes on its strips so that it can tell you most of the time whether there is insufficient blood on the strip or there is another type of strip error (this happens occasionally with all meters), giving an error code verbally.  The meter also comes with a hard metal case with foam padding so that is much harder to inadvertently turn the meter on.  The Solo V2 also can be made to tag readings as being before or after meals and has an alarm one can set to remind one of when the next reading should be taken.  However, there is one glaring disadvantage in the current Solo V2 that is a show-stopper for me:  when reviewing readings from memory, only the dates (not the times) of readings are spoken although the visual display shows both for each reading.  This is a bummer if one wishes to keep an accurate hand log of readings.  Additionally, I haven't figured out an easy way to get any display element verbalized as often as necessary without going through considerable circumlocutions.  Also (although this is disputed), at least one member of the tech staff at the Iowa Department for the Blind says the computer software for the Solo V2 is inaccessible, at least using JAWS and possibly Window-eyes although I have a hunch this will be fixed in a future software release.  BioSense also says there will be a new version of the Solo released "soon" that will remedy the deficiencies I've cited.

One further observation is in order:  *all* meters occasionally give errant readings, not always with error indication.  the "fix" is to take a second or even a third reading.  Whether one uses the Prodigy Voice or the Solo V2 truly doesn't vitiate the problem for, if one thinks soberly about it, the solution to errant readings is always the same: test again!

I'm sure I'll get an argument on some aspects of the foregoing analysis.  This is as it should be.  Nonetheless, I hope this answer is enough to get you started.

the two websites are:

http://www.prodigymeter.com

and

http://www.solometers.com

Mike Freeman, President
Diabetes Action Network
National Federation of the Blind

On Jan 7, 2011, at 9:16, Dan <keysjd at comcast.net> wrote:

> Hello List,
> I'm curious. Currently, what talking glucose meters are on the market?
> TIA
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Diabetes-talk mailing list
> Diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Diabetes-talk:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org/k7uij%40panix.com