I have a patient who only has one hand. She has been using the Accuchek Compact Plus with the strips in a drum. This is being discontinued by Roche and she finds using other meter/strips impossible. Anyone out there with a similar situation who could provide some guidance?
Is she using a CGM and if not have you considered CGM as they are rapidly heading toward total accuracy without requiring a meter. With Dexcom G6, I believe a meter would only have to be available as a backup for the odd test which hopefully someone could help your patient with when needed. Even with the G5, only 2 and occasionally 3 tests need to be done daily.
The other issue is that most meters are not user friendly for 1 hand operation as the strips are in tight capped vials. Even if you do find one that is user friendly it becomes questionable if it is of much use as most glucose meters are not very accurate. So if easy to use but poor accuracy is not really of any benefit. The contour Next is by far the best, most accurate meter on the market and the meter most patiernts are migrating to. I would look for a way to make some kind of rig (Clamping system) that would make it easy for her to use that meter with 1 hand.
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This might be inconvenient, but she could check BG in her big toe if thats easier. Should be able to grip the right meter between 2 toes while she stabs one.
Does she still have any part of her arm left?
I used the Compact Plus for many years and really liked the convenience of it. I could be walking down the street and without missing a single step, pop it out of a pocket and do a bg check and put it back in my pocket.
I have a OneTouch Verio and just tried doing a bg test using only my left hand. I had anticipated that getting the pop-top test canister open and getting a single strip out would be the most difficult step. In fact that was pretty straightforward. The lancet device is short and pretty convenient for poking my finger without using a second hand. The hardest part was squeezing a finger to get blood out without using a second hand but eventually I kind of used the fingers on two sides to squeeze out a drop. It all worked. If you want I’ll post a video of me doing it.
I used that same meter for a few years and like the fact everything was in one object, but I didn’t like the bulk/weight. Then I began to discover that the higher my bg’s were, the more inaccurate the meter was, reading far higher than my true bg. I went thru a number of other meters until finding my favorite for accuracy, the Contour Next. I have the Next One, Next EZ, and Next Link meters. Even two different models of the Next Link.
Would a free style Libre be a meter they could use? Nancy50
Maybe the Accu-Chek guide meter? I like the meter and it might work out.
Thanks everyone for your input, I will run some of these ideas by her and let you know!
I thought it was available- just a concept I guess
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I love this idea.