Health care providers and Diabetic Educators agree that blood glucose monitors offer substantial benefits to users that other methods do not begin to approach. Although urine testing is important for checking things like ketones, urine testing for glucose is no longer considered to be a reliable method for monitoring. So monitors are your best choice for top-notch diabetes care.

To help you select the best blood glucose monitor for you, here are a few things to look for:

Expense

• The cost of a blood glucose monitor and diabetes care supplies is often covered by health insurance and Medicare

Ease of use

• Some monitors are easier to use than others
• Some require a smaller drop of blood than others
• Some require fewer steps to operate
• Some take less time than others

Accuracy

• All monitors currently on the market have a fairly high degree of accuracy if used properly
• The monitor may become less accurate over time, so it is important to test your glucose monitor to ensure it is providing an accurate reading
• Test monitor accuracy at least once a month (or according to manufacturer's instructions), or anytime you suspect a problem-for example, when strips are stored in unusual conditions during travel.

Portability

• All of today's monitors are lightweight and run on batteries, so they are all extremely portable.

Test time

• All the monitors provide fast results, usually in a less than 30 seconds
• Some of the newer meters even give blood glucose results in five seconds

Audio monitors

• If you are visually impaired, you may be eligible to receive a special audio monitor
• There are several blood glucose monitors on the market that give audio instructions to guide a person through the entire testing procedure and give audio test results

Test site

• Alternative test site or forearm capillary blood glucose monitoring is a less painful means of testing blood glucose than traditional fingerstick methods
• Studies have shown good correlation between fingerstick and forearm methods in the fasting person but higher blood glucose values from fingerstick sites after eating