Selecting Blood Glucose Diabetic Meters

Diabetic meters, sometimes called glucometers, glucosemeter or blood glucose meters, are an essential tool inside your diabetic equipment that you can't do without. Most diabetics rely upon this portable medical device to provide them exact readings of their glucose range every single day. But, with the amount available, it is easier to choose the wrong one than for the right one. So what should you look out for in glucometers?

Convenience and comfort

The tracking of your blood glucose range is a regular routine that could even require you to draw liquid blood samples from your fingertips every couple of hours. Doctors frequently advise that although convenience should not be at the top of your list of priorities in choosing good diabetic meters it should be given a lot of thought. The smallest amount blood the meter needs, the least discomfort you should expect. Nowadays, you can find glucometers that do not need to pierce skin to draw blood samples. These may include using a light scan over the finger but it has been suggested these may not be as accurate though. Some of these diabetic tools are non-invasive and only require very small samples when compared to their older counterparts.

Transportability

The general rule when selecting diabetic meters is to find one that isn’t too small, or too big. Remember that you need it small enough to take out with you, but with a large enough screen so you can read your blood glucose range easily.
 
Alternative sites to the fingertips

If you do have to frequently draw blood, your fingertips may very well become quite sore. Many glucometers today enable you to draw blood from less sensitive parts of the body such as thigh, forearm, palm and upper arm. A few of these glucometers will allow the patient to rotate the area that they use which can be handy if you have to test every few hours.
 
Cost

Diabetic meters are not a one-off purchase so price is important. It isn't the device itself which affects your budget, but the disposable test strips which can vary in price considerably. Should you use Three or four a day, this will likely quickly mount up. Therefore, always work out your real costs with regards to the test strips.

Insurance

Glucometers may be covered by insurance providers, but make sure they cover other tools that you need and not just the glucometer itself. You must also make sure that your glucometer brand is protected in the list that they cover, so do make sure you check.
 
Functionality and extras

As with most devices currently available, you will get diabetic meters with ‘bells and whistles’ on. These extras can include download options and built-in memory, as well as other add-ons. Of course, you will have to pay for these so consider whether you actually need them before you buy and then don't use them.