Sometimes it seems that there are almost as many diabetes monitors, or glucometers, as there are people with diabetes (well, not really, but you get the point). Furthermore, each one seems to tout a different set of features that differentiate it from the rest. So when we at Medgadget were approached by the people at Life Scan about their new OneTouch Verio IQ Meter, we were curious to learn more. Described as “the first meter ever that looks for patterns of highs and lows—and alerts you, right on screen, when it finds one,” the VerioIQ is a hand-held monitor with a simple array of four buttons, a color display screen, memory to hold 750 recordings, and bilingual (English/Spanish) capability.
Like most current glucometers, it provides the user a lance to draw blood via finger-prick. This editor was provided with a complimentary review device and found it to be user-friendly, though had to lend it out to a diabetic colleague who was impressed enough with the added features. The key development is the VerioIQ’s PatternAlert system that detects time ranges during a five-day period during which the patient’s glucose is running abnormally high or low, thus virtually eliminating the need for a logbook. For those with extremely well-managed diabetes this is likely not as much of an issue, though it’s clear how patients with more variable glucose levels may benefit.
Medgadget had the opportunity to interview Life Scan’s Associate Director of Marketing, Kamal Bhandal, about the new device:
Medgadget: Can you please discuss your newest product, OneTouch VerioIQ, and why diabetic patients may uniquely benefit from it?
Bhandal: The key to successfully managing diabetes is keeping blood sugar levels in a healthy range. You want to minimize the highs and lows. Blood glucose testing provides the information a patient and doctor need to see how food choices and activity affect blood sugar, and to adjust treatment if necessary. But making sense of your results and knowing what to do with them can be a challenge.
The OneTouch VerioIQ is the first and only meter that looks for patterns of high and low blood sugar and alerts people right on the screen. With every test, the OneTouch VerioIQ Meter compares the current result with previous ones and alerts the patient to patterns he or she might not even be aware of. This is important for people on insulin who are at the greatest risk of experiencing low blood sugar which can be dangerous. So spotting and correcting a developing pattern of low blood sugars as early as possible is key. A companion OneTouch VerioIQ Pattern Guide is also available and offers possible causes and potential solutions for high and low patterns.
Medgadget: Does OneTouch have any plans on moving into the smart phone market?
Bhandal: We recognize that many consumers rely on their smart phones for a variety of daily tasks and could benefit from diabetes management solutions offered on a mobile platform. While we don’t have any new product announcements at this time, we are continuously looking to develop innovative solutions that integrate as seamlessly as possible into people’s lives to help improve their diabetes management and daily self-care decisions .
Medgadget: What are you most excited about with regard to the future of diabetes management and care?
Bhandal: This is truly the information age when it comes to diabetes management. Patients need to understand what their results mean and how to act on them. One of the greatest opportunities is to give them the tools to help them and their healthcare professional make the best daily self-care decisions possible. The key is to make them simple, easy and relevant. For example, we know that most people with diabetes treat their out of range high or low blood glucose results in the moment and move on. But if they’re not proactively looking for root causes, they can get on a roller coaster of just reacting to highs and lows – over and over again – without even realizing that they may be connected. That’s why we developed the OneTouch VerioIQ System. It’s the first and only meter to look for patterns of high and low blood sugar and alert patients right on the screen so they can more easily recognize the issue and take action to correct potential problems. This is the kind of innovation that we believe can have a significant impact on how people understand and manage their diabetes.
Product page: OneTouch VerioIQ Meter
Flashback: OneTouch coverage on Medgadget