I am the primary caregiver of my grandson who was recently diagnosed with type 1. We attended a diabetes fair the other night and were given a One Touch Meter and a few strips. The representative told us that the One Touch has proven to give more accurate readings than the Freedom Lite that we currently use. He told us that the OneTouch went through thousands of trial testing, while the Freedom Lite went through only 250. I have used both meters to test and as he stated there was a variance in the numbers, how do we know which one is correct? Is there a way to have a meter calibrated? Should we go back to the doctor even though our appointment isn’t for another three months or is there a way to test it elsewhere? We are uninsured and use the Freedom Lite as it offers a $50.00 per month discount on strips and we test sometimes as many as 10 times per day.

There are many good glucose meters and strips on the market. Check that your grandchild’s clinician is comfortable with the meter being used. Cost is a definite factor, and you should use a good meter recommended by the diabetes care provider and what works best for you financially. Some meters have features that you may find preferable over others.

Probably more important for accuracy is that you do the blood glucose check correctly, with clean and dry skin, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Also keep in mind if you do compare meters, you can expect that instead of one number, the same drop of blood can be in a percent range and still be accurate. For example, a reading of 120 mg/dl [6.7 mmol/L] and 130 mg/dl [7.2 mmol/L] could represent the same glucose level in the blood. Some people are not aware that if you repeat the reading you can expect to see a range and still have it be accurate. Also, there may be a difference in the result of the first drop of blood and subsequent “squeezed” drops from the same finger poke.

LAD