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| OneTouch Verio Flex system--Courtesy of Lifescan |
Color offers a simple behavioral cue: red means stop and green go. Now, Johnson & Johnson's ($JNJ) LifeScan has incorporated those most basic of prompts into making it easier for diabetics to read and interpret their blood glucose monitor data.
Most blood glucose monitors offer a number for blood glucose but little guidance as to whether or not the diabetic is within range or needs to take further action. That context is expected routinely to be added by patients themselves. The new Onetouch Verio Flex is designed to remove that guesswork, providing color indicators when blood glucose is low (blue), within range (green) or high (red).
LifeScan has already started shipping the OneTouch Verio Flex system to retailers in the U.S., where it will sell for $19.99. The company boasts that the test strips used have the lowest copay on most health plans, which could save patients $40 a month The OneTouch test strips are covered by Medicare Part B.
"Research shows that ease of use remains a very important reason for meter selection by a majority of patients while, at the same time, one-third say they can't make sense of their blood sugar results," said Dr. Jeremy Pettus, endocrinologist and assistant professor of medicine at the University of California at San Diego, in a statement. "The new OneTouch Verio Flex meter is designed to help people with diabetes better understand and manage their blood glucose. It provides basic information when all they want to know is their number and if they're in range; while the mobile app provides key insights and information sharing if they're interested in more."
According to a company survey, 9 out of 10 diabetics found the meter's color range indicator helped them to easily interpret their own glucose readings. And 7 out 10 said that the ease of the OneTouch Verio Flex system could encourage them to test as recommended. There are an estimated 29 million U.S. diabetics who do not test their blood sugar regularly or as recommended by their physician.
OneTouch Verio test strips require a small amount of blood (0.4 μl) be applied to either side. It has a 500-test results memory with date and time and it connects via Bluetooth to the OneTouch Reveal mobile app for both Apple ($AAPL) and Android devices.
- here is the announcement