Smart devices are completely changing how diseases are managed thanks to the invaluable help they offer to patients. Gone are the days when patients were mere passive subjects who simply followed their doctor's guidelines, and Thanks to advances in medicine and technology, now anyone can (and should) be an active part of their treatment and care.
One Drop is an excellent example of how a conventional naked eye device, a glucometer (glucose meter) changes radically when accompanied by excellent software and the power of an iPhone, together with experts and a community that make diabetes control much easier thanks to glycemic control and expert advice.
One Drop Chrome, the product
The product that One Drop offers us is called One Drop Chrome, which is a glucose meter that connects to your smartphone (iPhone or Android) thanks to the free OneDrop application that will allow you to carry all your measurement history in your pocket, as well as monitor the physical activity you do and add the carbohydrates you take. With all this information you will be able to carry out an exhaustive control of your diabetes and help your doctor in the check-ups to know your dietary habits and how you have controlled glucose.
The Kit is priced at € 109,05 and it consists of a small glucometer with a screen to be able to see the reading without having to use your iPhone, a very comfortable and easy-to-use automatic lancet to obtain the drop of blood necessary for the determination of glucose, a small container with 50 glucose determination strips, and a synthetic leather case that serves to transport the entire kit comfortably. Also in the box you will find another container with another 50 test strips and replacement lancets.
One Drop Premium and Plus, the service
The most special thing about One Drop is its counseling service that uses all the information from your iPhone application and helps you control your disease. From how to calculate the carbohydrates in your food to how to help you control those spikes in blood glucose that you cannot avoid, the experts are with you at all times from the mobile application itself. This service has several modalities with different fees:
- One Drop Premium: € 44,95 per month (or € 445,95 per year) including expert advice and all the test strips you need whenever you need them
- One Drop Plus 100: € 29,95 per month (or € 319,95 per year) including expert advice and 100 test strips per month
- One Drop Plus 50: € 18,95 per month (or € 179,95 per year) including expert advice and 50 test strips per month
The price of the test strips alone is worth the subscription, but you will also have the help of their experts in return. Of course, unfortunately at the moment they only offer the service in English.
One Drop, the application
The application available in the App Store (and Google Play) is the one that serves as a hub between the glucose meter, One Drop Chrome, and the One Drop Premium or Plus services. In it you will not only be able to record all the blood glucose measurements that you take (the app automatically detects the measurement and only asks you to confirm), You can also enter manual values, the meals you do, the activity you do and the medication you take. It is a place where you can accurately record all your habits and with all that information your doctor and One Drop experts will be able to make decisions that are more tailored to what you need.
Of course the application is compatible with iOS Health, and all the data is also stored on its servers. One Drop ensures that those users who have followed its program for 4 weeks have managed to lower HbA1c values (Glycated hemoglobin) 1% on average, which is very important. The app is also compatible with watchOS, so you can use your Apple Watch to record your measurements.
A help that is priceless
There is a lot of talk about advances in medicine for the treatment of Diabetes, including technological advances that can help it, with wearables as the main protagonists. Knowing your eating and physical activity habits and keeping track of your glucose and HbA1c levels as well as the medication you take are fundamental points for a good control of this disease.And if we can also count on the help of experts who can give us advice that is in addition to that of our doctor, all the better. For more information and if you are interested in the product, you can access their website for Europe at this link.