Diabetech’s products and services (which also include an HbA1c test — a common measure of blood glucose control — that can be taken at home and mailed in to get results) have garnered grants from the federal government to study the effectiveness of some of the ways McMahon and Dr. Ponder are using them. One current study examines whether use of the GlucoMON can lead to better blood glucose management in women with gestational diabetes. Plans also exist to study using the device in rural areas that would otherwise lack access to diabetes specialists.
There are other ways to share blood glucose numbers electronically, although none is as portable as the GlucoMON. One is the Eocene System, which transmits the numbers from a blood glucose meter to an online database; it requires connection to a phone line. And numerous programs exist that allow the user to store data from a blood glucose meter online by connecting it to a computer wirelessly or with a cable. Depending on your needs, any one of these systems may work for you.
