Talking meter will help visually impaired people with diabetes monitor blood glucose levels
Visually impaired people with diabetes can now accurately monitor their own blood glucose levels, thanks to a ‘talking’ device which helps stave off hypoglycaemic attacks.
The pioneering device, called CareSens N Voice from Spirit Healthcare, allows individuals with limited vision to monitor readings in the comfort of their own home.
In the UK, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in working age people1. It is estimated every year 4,200 people are at risk of blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy2.
Chris Barker, managing director of Spirit Healthcare, said: “We know that sight loss is a huge factor within the diabetes community and more needs to be done to help people who are losing their sight.
“CareSens N Voice revolutionizes the way people monitor blood glucose levels, enabling them to do it themselves in the comfort of their own home, removing the need for professionals to visit them or the patient to visit specialist clinics.”
The number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK rose to 3.2 million at the end of 2013 following a significant increase in new cases of the disease3.
New figures released this week revealed that more than 163,000 people across the UK were given a diabetes diagnosis last year, the biggest increase in a single year since 20084.
With those numbers continuing to rise, it’s vital to ease the pressure on healthcare professionals who are being inundated with new patients.
Enabling visually impaired people with diabetes to monitor their own blood glucose levels at a time that suits them frees up more time for nurses, helping to manage their workload.
The CareSens N Voice meter is available now. For more details visit http://www.spirit-healthcare.co.uk/patients-home/our-products/caresensrange/caresens-voice/ or call 0800 8815423.
1 Kohner E, Allwinkle J, Andrews J et al (1996). Saint Vincent and improving diabetes care: report of the Visual Handicap Group. Diabetic Medicine 13, suppl 4; s13–s26. There is a lack of current data. The figure may have reduced with better screening and Arun CS, Ngugi N, Lovelock L et al (2003). Effectiveness of screening and preventing blindness due to diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic Medicine 20 (3); 186–190
2 http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/Reports/State-of-the-Nation-2012.pdf