Wednesday, February 3, 2010

True Track Glucose Meter

1. Lower Cost of Test Strips

The biggest thing that attracted me to this meter was the lower cost of testing supplies. 30% is good savings and I wish this would become a trend with all the meter manufacturers as a whole. Locally I pay around $60 for 100 strips as while you pay $87 per 100 for Compact Plus. In this respect, Home Diagnostics is way ahead of the curve.

2. Small blood sample needed

Testing strips just need one micro-litre of blood. The capillary action of the strip is quite visible and it easily soaks up the sample. In this way, it's way better than the other meters.

3. Fast results

The meter needs just 10 seconds for test results to show up and it also detects if insufficient blood has been applied. This is just half as fast as the Accu-Chek Aviva but it's still pretty speedy.

4. Small and lightweight

The compact form factor fits quite easily into your palm and hardly weighs anything. It comfortably fits into your pocket and it also comes with a handy carrying pouch that houses the meter, lancet device test log and other supplies.

Rating: 7.5/10

The TrueTrack glucose meter is pretty good for home blood sugar testing. The meter itself is quite average, and you shouldn't expect any extra niceties. It's just a simple, low cost test meter which is great if you need to save money and get the job done.

True Track Glucose

I picked this meter mainly because it was the cheapest one in Walgreens, back when I was first diagnosed and before I even knew that meters vary so much when it comes to quality. I started to get nervous about the TrueTrack later on after reading all the poor reviews.

So I decided to bring the meter to my doctor's appointments and compare my results. On three separate occasions, the TrueTrack was within at least two points of the doctor's office. I even brought my TrueTrack with me when I had lab work done at a separate facility and my meter had me just one point off from the lab's reading.

My readings always reflect how I feel. I have another discount meter (not a TrueTrack, but that's supposedly of higher quality) that reads me 14-41 points higher than the TrueTrack. I thought the TrueTrack was deceiving me, but of course I trust the doctor's office laboratory way more than I do this other meter.

The test strips are a little expensive. They almost always come with coupons inside the box, which can help. I don't think the meter is all that complicated, but if have yet to use one, then you should probably watch the instructional videos online. You need to do this to calibrate the meter.

Remember, if you are getting weird results on your meter, then you need to calibrate the meter to make sure it's correct. Also, testing yourself several times in a row in just a few minutes will just mess up your results. You need to wait at least half an hour between testings on the same meter. If none of these tips work, you should call the manufacturer of ANY broken meter and DEMAND you get a new one...a working one!!

Truetrack Smart System

The TrueTrack Smart System Blood Glucose Monitor has been advertised at many of the local drug stores, and with rebates or taking your old machine back, you can get it for as little as $19.99, and in some cases, even free. These test strips are almost half the price of others at $49 for 100. Nice way to save money!

The monitor is blue and silver and it has a large display screen on the front with TrueTrack above and below it.

On the top in the middle of it there's the S button for selecting settings, viewing blood sugar averages and checking your results in the memory. Either side of this button there's the decrease and increase button, to check back on past readings, and then to forward them.

At the bottom of the machine, there's the place to insert the test strip. The data port is on the right side, and the left side has the code chip port to insert the code chip, and the back has the battery compartment, meter label, and the serial number of the machine.

Always make sure the coding on the test strip label and the machine is exactly the same. It's best to do a quality control test before you actually do one with your blood. This will make sure that the machine is correct.

To check your blood sugar, simply remove a test strip and put it into the bottom of the machine. When taking any blood sample, always wash your hands and then dry them very well before you start. Then prick your finger with the lancing device. Squeeze the finger so a drop of blood forms, and then touch the edge of the test strip. Let the blood go into the strip until you hear the meter yell out a beep. The machine will then show you your sugar reading with the date and time.

When you get rid of the test strip, the machine will then turn itself off and all of the results are stored in the memory.

TrueTrack Test Strips

Featuring capillary action and needing only a one microliter blood sample, easy-to-handle TrueTrack Smart System Test Strips cost you up to 30% less than those other systems. Plus, they are covered by Medicare and most private insurance plans. TrueTrack Test Strips are only compatible with the TrueTrack Smart System Blood Glucose Monitor.

TrueTrack Test Strips provides a 1ul blood sample, capillary action, is automatic on upon insertion of strip, just 10 second test time along with an audible test strip fill detection.

Simply allow Test Strips to get to room temperature before testing, then wash the area to be lanced with soap and warm water and dry thoroughly. Discard the test strip is 3 months past the written opened date or expired. Take one Test Strip from vial. Close the vial immediately. Insert Test Strip into Meter Test Port. Obtain the blood drop. Place Test Strip Sample Tip gently against drop and allow blood to be drawn into Test Strip. The result is then displayed. Then simply remove the strip from the Meter and discard in to an appropriate container. Remember, Test Strips are for in vitro (external) testing of whole blood. Do not eat!!!