Alternate site blood glucose testing: do patients prefer it?

AIMS: To examine patients' perspectives on ease of use and pain with the MediSense alternate site blood glucose testing device (Soft-Sense) compared with their current glucose testing method, and to evaluate the analytical performance of the MediSense device with the laboratory reference method.
METHODS: Study participants were shown how to use the Soft-Sense glucose device and asked to perform two tests on their forearm. A capillary sample was collected from their finger and tested on the external port of the Soft-Sense meter and a laboratory method (YSI Glucose Analyser). Finally, one drop of blood was also directly tested from the finger onto the external port. Patients completed a questionnaire comparing ease of use and associated pain of their current testing method with the Soft-Sense meter.
RESULTS: Patients preferred the Soft-Sense device to their own for ease of use and for less pain (93% found it easier to use and 96% less painful; P < 0.001). Glucose results correlated closely with the laboratory method (mean absolute percentage bias for the forearm 11.0%, finger 6.0%, and collected capillary sample 5.7%). Error grid analysis showed that all Soft-Sense results were clinically acceptable.
CONCLUSIONS: Patients prefer the Soft-Sense alternate site testing device to their existing measuring method. The device accurately measures whole blood glucose.