[Diabetes-talk] meter accuracy

[Lynn Baillif]

Hi Gregory,
I have to agree with you.  I have always been partial to Roche meters, and I recommend them to clients whenever I can do so. Unfortunately, now a days insurance companies dictate which brands of meters are covered, so often there is not much choice.  There has been talk for the last four years that Roche will be coming out with a new talking meter (the Voice Mate Plus), but there always seems to be a reason for the delay.  They were waiting until their new strip technology came out, but that was over a year ago.  I doubt  that it will happen.  And even if it does, I doubt it will be affordable.
 
As for the accuracy of the Prodigy, whenever I have asked for increased accuracy I am told that the meter is meant to give a range of high and low, but not be used for clinical decisions.  But since we all make decisions about diabetes management based on patterns of blood sugar, the accuracy really does matter.
As we get more choices in talking meters, hopefully acuracy will improve due to competition.
Lynn

Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2011 09:55:55 -0500
From: GREGORY ROSENBERG <gregg at ricis.com>
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] VoiceRx is Prodigy
Message-ID: <0C754405-8EA4-48B3-B764-E614FC1C4F82 at ricis.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Good morning everyone,

Not only do I agree with the issues you both raise, but I have found that Prodigy is the worst meter I have ever tested. Roche makes some of the most accurate and consistent meters that I have tested and used. The industry says that meters can be up to +-20%, Roche has always been between 1% of my lab results. Granted meters are intended to give you a measurement of relative change, but I have had a prodigy show 90 when I was 67. Had I not sensed Hypoglycemia coming on I might have been in trouble. My Roche meters always are close enough I never get a close call in either direction.

I have many clients that are durable equipment resellers. So I have tested dozens of meters over the years. Hands down Prodigy is at the bottom of the barrel.