Field tip #11: To download a form that will help you learn to test in pairs and, most important, analyze your results, go to www.accu-chek.com/testinginpairs. The form is available in both English and Spanish.
Field tip #12: Losing track of time? Most smartphones have excellent countdown timers. If you set your timer for two hours when you start your meal, you are less likely to forget the second test on mealtime pairs testing, and using a timer also makes the interval between your pairs more precise.
Field tip #13: For random pair testing, go old school: Lay out your strategy on a paper calendar. Most banks and insurance agents still have free calendars for their customers.
Field test #14: For burst testing, the Accu-Chek 360° View tool (in both English and Spanish) at https://www.accu-chek.com/us/data-management/360-view-printable-tool.html is a smartly designed logsheet that makes tracking and viewing your burst study a breeze. Sorry about that ungainly URL. If I were you, I’d just enter “Accu-Chek 360” into a search engine.
Field tip #15: Having a hard time getting a good attitude about those “bad” numbers? Why not reward yourself when you find a lurking high? Celebration defuses defeat. I have one patient who has a sheet of gold star stickers (like we all got in kindergarten), and she puts a gold star in her logbook each time she finds a “bad” number. It may seem silly, but it works for her, and it keeps her on track and upbeat.
