Patient and glucometer: how can glucose self-monitoring be improved?

Abstract

This review describes the challenges faced by patients with diabetes in self-monitoring of glycemia and their solutions. An over-view of factors influencing the purchase and selection of a glucometer, the use of mobile applications for diabetes mellitus (DM) control, and adherence to DM self-monitoring is presented. Factors influencing glucometer choice such as accuracy, blood sample volume, and the aspects on which they depend are described. Studies investigating such an option as setting an individual glycemic target range and its advantage in improving carbohydrate metabolism are presented. The factors that determine effectiveness and adherence when using mobile apps for DM control, the function of reminders in mobile apps are considered. The article gives some of the most important features of the Contour®Plus ONE blood glucose measurement system for patients, which consists of the Contour®Plus ONE glucometer, Contour®Plus test strips, ContourTMDiabetes app, ContourTMCloud. The nuances of glucometer use and applications that make their combination for self-monitoring of glucose levels as comfortable and effective as possible for the physician and the patient are described. The article identifies psychological factors influencing adherence to glycemic self-control. In addition, the article presents a brief description of the current state of the problem of non-invasive glucometry and lists some developments in recent years. Among the presented recent developments are devices based on electrochemical methods (flexible sensors measuring glucose levels in sweat on the skin surface, in saliva, in tears), as well as devices measuring blood glucose levels in blood vessels using optical, electromagnetic and microwave methods.