Updated April 16, 2008

Talking Meters
What’s New?

by Ann S. Williams, Ph.D., R.N., C.D.E.

Accu-Chek Voicemate
Size of meter: 6.50" x 3.00" x 2.50": too large to carry easily in a pocket or purse. The meter comes with its own carrying case with a shoulder strap.
Cost of the meter: about $500.
Meter and strip availability: As of January 1, 2007, the manufacturer, Roche Diagnostics, is no longer shipping new meters to retailers. However, some meters may still be available through select medical equipment suppliers. Roche will continue to supply the Voicemate by special request from physicians for people who have an urgent need for it, and the company plans to keep the strips available indefinitely in pharmacies and from durable medical equipment companies. (See “Resources” for contact information.)
Clarity of the meter's voice: Clear, easy to understand.
Available languages: English or Spanish.
Volume: Adjustable. Comes with an earphone that allows private use in public spaces.
Repairs: The meter and the voice are produced by the same manufacturer, so if either malfunctions, it can be repaired by the same source.
Size of the strips: about 1.70" x 0.40".
Ease of handling strips: Easy to handle, even for people with some dexterity problems.
Insertion of strips: The insertion end of the strip is easily identified as being farthest away from the rounded cutout area where the blood is placed, with the cutout positioned to the right. The strip is easy to insert in the meter nonvisually.
Accessible instructions: Complete audiotaped instructions come with each meter. The voice guides the user through all steps of a blood glucose check.
Coding: Requires coding, which can be accomplished nonvisually by the insertion of a code chip that is included inside every box of strips.
Size of blood drop: 4 microliters of blood are needed for an accurate test—a relatively large drop compared to many modern meters. (See “Getting a Blood Drop Onto a Strip” for suggestions on how to get an adequately sized blood drop.)
Placement of blood drop: Each strip has a rounded cutout area near one end that identifies tactilely where the blood drop should be placed. The strip pulls the blood in from the side, and the user can add more blood for up to 15 seconds. The meter beeps when enough blood has been applied. Although the meter is not supposed to begin its countdown if an inadequate sample is applied, it is possible for the meter to beep and begin its countdown when not quite enough blood has been applied, resulting in an inaccurately low reading.
Time for results to appear: Varies, but it is usually 30–40 seconds—relatively long compared to most modern meters.
Results: The meter speaks the results clearly, and they can be repeated by pressing a button.
Meter's memory size: Retains the most recent 100 readings, with the date and time of each reading.
Memory accessibility: The memory can be accessed by the voice.
Computer interface: Information can be uploaded to a computer with a purchased cable and software. However, the software program is not accessible with a computer screen reader.
Extras: Has a bar code reader that identifies types of Eli Lilly insulin in vials.

Advocate and Advocate Redi-Code
Size of meter: 3.70" x 1.90" x 0.90": easily carried in a pocket or purse.
Cost of the meter: about $30.
Meter and strip availability: Distributed by Pharma Supply (see “Resources” for contact information). Also available through select durable medical equipment companies and suppliers of accessible equipment for people with visual impairment.
Clarity of the meter's voice: Clear, easy to understand.
Available languages: English or Spanish.
Volume: Can be adjusted, although this is difficult to do nonvisually. Does not have an earphone to allow private use in public spaces.
Repairs: Voice and meter are one entity, so if either malfunctioned, it would be repaired by the same distributor.
Size of the strips: About 1.30" x 0.30".
Ease of handling strips: Easy to handle for most people. Some people with dexterity problems may have difficulty.
Insertion of strips: The insertion end has squared corners, and the end that sticks out of the meter has rounded corners. (See “Strips: Which End Is Which?”) The strip is easy to insert nonvisually. Although it can be inserted upside down, doing so does not turn on the meter.
Accessible instructions: No audio instructions are provided with this meter. The voice guides the user through the steps for checking blood glucose levels, but instructions for other meter functions such as coding or changing the volume are not available in a nonvisual format. Coding is not necessary for the Advocate Redi-Code.
Coding: Coding is required on the Advocate, and the code number is not available nonvisually. The distributor says that if a visually impaired user orders strips from them, they will ensure that they always send the same code number, eliminating the need for recoding. However, for safety, sighted verification of the code number before use would be a good idea. No coding is required on the Advocate Redi-Code.
Size of blood drop: 0.6 microliters.
Placement of blood drop: The strip pulls in the blood drop through a tiny opening at the end that sticks out of the meter, which is easy to locate. However, for a user who has very low or no vision, remembering where the blood drop is on the finger and applying it to the strip can be difficult. (See “Placing Blood Accurately on the Strip” for suggestions.)
Time for results to appear: 6 seconds.
Results: Voiced clearly, but cannot be repeated.
Meter's memory size: Can store up to 450 memory results, with the date and time of each reading.
Memory accessibility: Readings stored in the memory can be displayed on the screen only and are not accessible by speech.
Computer interface: The distributor has free software available on its Web site for uploading the data from the meter to a computer via a purchased cable. However, the software program is not accessible with a computer screen reader.
Extras: The meter gives the room temperature during the startup procedure.

Also in this article:
Insurance Coverage for Talking Meters
Resources
Strips: Which End is Which?

Dr. Williams has been a diabetes educator for 20 years and for most of those years has worked in programs designed specifically to serve people with visual disabilities.

More articles on Blood Glucose Monitoring

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