[Diabetes-talk] accessible apt for CGM

[TALey at ups.com]

Joyce, 

On this list we have been focusing on the Dexcom CGM, the current version is the Dexcom G5 Mobile system. This system comes with an app that lets you read the current blood glucose (BG) reading, the current BG trend (for example, constant, slowly rising, slowly falling, etc.) and lets you start, stop, calibrate, and enter food, exercise and such accessibly using voiceover on your iPhone. 

The Dexcom G5 Mobile system is only a CGM; it is not an insulin pump. You must purchase a pump separately. 

As you mentioned, Medtronic, which makes both pumps and CGM systems, has a version of a pump that will take the BG from the Medtronic CGM system and if you are going low, will automatically suspend the pump for up to two hours so you don't receive any more insulin. It is intended to prevent people from going low overnight while sleeping, which is a big issue for many. This is the only pump on the market in the US that will automatically suspend insulin delivery. 

The system is the Medtronic 530G, the G stands for Guardian, like guardian angel. It will not prevent 100% of lows, but it is effective. It is for sale now in the US and if there is anyone on the list who uses it, let us know your feedback. 

The CGM part of the Medtronic 530G system, by all accounts, is not as accurate as the CGM system by Dexcom. The Medtronic CGM today is more accurate than their earlier models, but still lag behind the Dexcom models in terms of accuracy. 

In addition, the Medtronic 530G system comes with an app that may be used with voiceover. 
On the plus side, this app provides information about the insulin pump such as the battery level, the last bolus you took, how much active insulin is in your system, and what the current basal rate is. No other pump has an app that will let a blind person independently read this information. You cannot control the pump with the app on the phone though. 

The Medtronic 530G app also lets you read the current BG reading from the CGM, but not the BG trend, such as constant, slowly falling, etc. I find this a big negative because knowing the direction your BG is going is one of the great advantages of a CGM. I hope Medtronic will update the app soon to include this info as well. 

Additional negatives for the app for the Medtronic 530G is that it does not let you start or stop the sensor, calibrate the CGM or enter events like food eaten, etc. This must be done via the buttons on the pump, and is not accessible. 

I recently went through the process of purchasing a new pump. I looked hard at the Medtronic 530G system. In the end, I stayed with the combination of the Dexcom G5 Mobile system and the Animas Vibe pump because of the superior accuracy and accessibility of the Dexcom G5 CGM system. But the auto-suspend of the Medtronic 530G system is a great feature, so it was a hard choice. 

Looking ahead, Medtronic recently received FDA approval to begin final testing of their not-yet-released 560G system that adds the ability to automatically give additional insulin to bring your high blood glucose down. These are exciting advances. 

All of us need to be contacting these companies and asking them what they plan to do about accessibility of their pumps, CGM systems, and dual pump/CGM systems. The day of the artificial pancreas is close at hand, and we need to keep pushing hard for accessibility to be available as part of the first products available. 

Tom




-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of blindhands--- via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Monday, July 11, 2016 10:44 PM
To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
Cc: blindhands at aol.com
Subject: [Diabetes-talk] accessible apt for CGM

Could you please post the name of the meter that has the accessible apt
again?  Is this the CGM that you can get with the Medtronic insulin pump
that has the sensories and that shuts off for up to 2 hours if your blood
sugars go too low?

Thanks,  Joyce