Diabetes patients must either use a glucose meter in order to monitor their own blood glucose levels or have their levels checked regularly at a lab.
The more convenient method is to do their own testing with their own meter.
Choosing the right meter requires advice from a doctor and some research.
The decision should be based on testing requirements, lifestyle, and the physical abilities of the patient.
For instance, for those with bad vision, a meter with a small display would be the wrong choice.
A patient with limited dexterity in the hands should choose a meter that loads the test strips automatically.
What meter will work well for one patient may not be the right option for another.
Some key things to look for when choosing a glucose meter include: 1.
Does it have a display that is readable? 2.
Some health insurance companies only cover certain meters or only pay a particular amount.
The patient should find out from his or her insurance provider what the coverage limitations are and if they will also cover the test strips.
3.
For some people, cost may play a part, especially if the patient does not have insurance.
Just because a particular meter is cheap does not necessarily mean that the strips are cheap.
Confirming the price of the test strips before purchasing the meter is important.
4.
How many special functions does the meter have? A meter with extra features can help a patient better manage the disease.
Some desirable special features include:

• Providing rapid results: Some meters can have the results in as little as 5 seconds.
  
• Internal memory: A meter that can store a lot of test results can be a valuable asset for the patient and his or her doctor in tracking glucose levels.
  Some meters can hold up to the last 1000 results.
  
• Smaller sample sizes: It can often be difficult to get a large enough sample for some meters to read.
  There are glucose meters that can do it with smaller samples of blood.
  
• Using alternate testing sites: There are meters that can take samples from other locations than just the fingertips, like the thigh, forearm, or the base of the thumb.
  This feature is good for patients who are required to test more frequently.
  
• Computer download of results: Many meters these days have the capability of downloading the results to your computer.
  This makes it easy for the patient to send the results to his or her doctor.
  

When purchasing a blood glucose meter, diabetes patients should consider all of these things before deciding on the best product for their particular needs.
Two of the most important things to think about is how well the patient understands the meter's features and how easy it will be to use.