Accu-Chek Compass Software Review

Accu-Chek Compass software is one part of Roche Diagnostics blood glucose management system. The other parts include an Accu-Chek meter, a cable and your desktop or laptop computer.

Measuring your blood sugar and writing it manually into a log book is better than doing nothing at all but what's really needed is visual feedback that creates meaningful information out of the jumble of readings that pile up in your  meter. That's where glucose management software comes in.

With blood glucose management software like Accu-Chek Compass, you can display graphs and reports such as blood sugar trend, daily and weekly average readings, hypoglycemic reports, and target range reports.

You can also display and print a one page summary report  with all this information and then share it with your endocrinologist or other diabetes care-givers.

What's more, you can automatically download all your readings to Accu-Chek Compass instead of entering them manually. Of course, to do this you need Accu-Chek's infrared or serial cable for your particular meter.

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Accu-Chek Compass supports meter downloads for the following Accu-Chek meters:

• Accu-Check Active
• Accu-Check Advantage
• Accu-Check Advantage Complete
• Accu-Check Aviva
• Accu-Check Comfort
• Accu-Check Compact
• Accu-Check Compact Plus
• Accu-Check Complete
• Accu-Check Go
• Accu-Check Integra
• Accu-Check Performa
• Accu-Check Pocket Compass
• Accu-Check Sensor
• Accu-Check Sensor Complete
• AccuSoft Advantage
• AccuSoft Advantage Complete
• Accutrend Sensor
• Accutrend Sensor Complete
• Glucotrend Premium

Naturally, you can always enter readings manually for those times when it makes more sense, but the true value in the program (in my opinion) is that it allows you to free up some time by automating this task much of the time.

For example, when you're away from home and one go, all you need to do is take your readings which are then stored in your meter. When you get back home, you simply connect to the desktop and download your results. Quick and no need for any typing.

And if you have the infrared option on your meter, you can simply set it up and point your meter at the Accu-Chek infrared cable interface and download it wirelessly. Very handy if you have the Accu-Chek Compact or Aviva meters like I do.

I've used this software for a little more than a year now and find it very good.

I like the way it's organized and I particularly like the meter download for my Accu-Chek Compact Plus via wireless infrared. People who own Accu-Chek meters will like the fact that it handles multiple meters. This allows you to have a "Home" meter and a "Work" meter for example. All the readings are merged and seamless this way making it vary convenient.

Of particular use are the printed reports. The trend graph report  will quickly tell you if your treatment is working or not. This is vital if you expect to make any progress with your diabetes treatment and get better.

The one-page summary report includes the trend graph, the average day graph and target range pie chart. This should be printed and shared with your diabetes professionals. It will help them to better see what is what is happening with your diabetes and adjust your medications as required. Dietary habits such as meal times can be adjusted as well.

For all of it's good points there are a few things that could be done better. For example:

1. There's no Windows Vista support. Why? I'm not sure but I hope that Roche has plans to add it soon. With millions of Vista users, it only makes sense to have it.
2. There is no way to track insulin doses which help Type 1 diabetics like me to calculate insulin sensitivity. This is crucial for Type 1s because it helps them to calculate how much insulin to inject based on their carb ratio and other factors.
3. There is no dietary information such as carbohydrate values for different foods. This would be handy and is especially useful for all diabetes patients.

Of course, I could go on and criticize other aspects of the Accu-Check Compass software but the fact is that this software does work very well for what it was intended to do. It's just a way to easily download readings and produce essential reports.

In a way, this is good because Compass will be easier to use for beginners who need a simple way to get into managing their blood sugar.

The price for Accu-Chek Compass is $29.95 at the time of this writing and you'll also need a meter cable or infrared cable in order to download meter readings.

For a complete overview and virtual tour of what's inside the software visit the:

 Accu-Chek Compass Demo (*Requires Flash)

Bottom Line:

Rating: 6/10

Accu-Chek Compass glucose management software is a pretty good program for Accu-Chek users to get into the habit of tracking and managing their own blood sugar.

It effectively organizes the essential information the diabetic and health care professionals need in order to better understand the patient's blood sugar situation and adjust therapies as needed.

It's not without it's short-comings though, and in my opinion should only be considered for the novice diabetic. More advanced users will want more I'm sure.

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Understanding Glucose and Insulin

Diabetes is all about the interaction of glucose and insulin in your body. But what do you really know about these 2 important elements and how they function?

A better basic understanding will make diabetes treatment seem less mysterious and ultimately lead to better health.

Glucose:

Glucose is one of many types of sugars, but it happens to be the particular sugar found in your blood that provides instant energy. Sugar is a carbohydrate, one of the three sources of energy in your body,together with protein and fat.

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Insulin:

Insulin is a chemical known as a hormone, meaning that it's made in an organ, which in this case is the pancreas, and carried around the body in the bloodstream. The function of insulin is to act as a key to the "door" in each cell of the body that opens to allow glucose in. However, not every cell requires insulin to get its glucose; some cells and organs take up glucose without using insulin. These include

--The brain
--Nerve fibres
--Red blood cells
--The retinas of the eyes
--The kidneys
--Blood vessels

The insulin-producing and insulin-storing pancreas cells, called B or beta cells, are found in groups called islets of Langerhans throughout the pancreas.

Other cells present in the islets of Langerhans include A cells, which produce glucagon, a hormone that's very important to patients with diabetes because it raises blood glucose when it gets too low; and D cells, which make somatostatin, a hormone that blocks the secretion of other hormones but doesn't have a use in diabetes because it causes high blood glucose.

In people who don't have diabetes, the presence of insulin helps control the conversion of glucose into energy in the body. People with diabetes, however, experience triggering events that lead to a lack of insulin in the body, which in turn leads to having uncontrolled glucose.

Conclusion:

Glucose and insulin need to be balanced in order to avoid diabetic complications and achieve optimal health. Frequent testing with a reliable glucose meter and inexpensive glucose test strips will help you to monitor your blood sugar and adjust your insulin doses to match the changing demands of your body.

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High Blood Glucose -3 Reasons For Morning Highs

High blood glucose levels in the morning can really throw your diabetes therapy off track and there's good cause to be concerned. If you sleep for eight hours with high levels of blood sugar, then for at least one third of your life, diabetes will cause damage to your system. This is clearly unacceptable for the concerned patient and care-giver.

Morning levels are susceptible to being high and may seem uncontrollable. However, more often than not, it's that most of us fail to understand why morning sugars can become high.

In order to help you get better control over diabetes, here are 3 reasons that blood sugars can measure high at rise-time.

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Reason # 1
During sleep, your blood sugar may decrease as a result of the amount of insulin you took that day, and the hormones, such as glucagon, that raise blood glucose may be secreted, resulting in high blood glucose in the morning. This action is called the Somogyi effect which is named after the doctor who first described it.

Some mornings, your blood glucose may be low if it didn't get low enough to trigger hormone secretion, whereas other mornings it may be high.

If you fail to understand that the main trigger is actually too much insulin and not too little, you may increase your insulin and make the situation worse.

Before increasing insulin at bedtime, do a blood glucose test in the middle of the night. If the level is low, you're in all probability experiencing the Somogyi effect, and you should decrease, NOT increase, the amount of long-acting insulin you give inject at bedtime.

Reason # 2
Another trigger of high blood glucose may be the "dawn phenomenon" which is caused by secretion of too much growth hormone during the night. By morning, it will raise your blood glucose to high levels. If your morning blood sugar levels are consistently high, nighttime long-acting insulin usually takes care of this problem and provides more normal morning blood glucose readings.

Reason # 3
Another possible reason for a morning high, not related to either of the previously mentioned circumstances, is that the insulin used at bedtime did not work long enough to keep the blood glucose from rising overnight. Older forms of insulin such as NPH tend to fall short in this manner, whereas newer long-acting insulin like Glargine and Detemir don't.

Conclusion:
High blood glucose levels in the morning must be avoided if you want to diminish detrimental effects and improve overall glucose control. Consider the 3 reasons given here to determine which of them may be giving you a problem, then take corrective action based on your findings.

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Accurate Blood Glucose Measurement Video

Accurate blood glucose measurement is at the heart of any good diabetes management therapy.

As the video above shows, using your glucose meter correctly will ensure accurate blood glucose measurement.

Home testing units are roughly accurate to within 15-20 percent, but the FDA does does not require ANY level of accuracy in order for a glucose meter to be approved for home use. This margin is acceptable for everyday use since, dosage of insulin will not vary that much within this range.

However, it's clear that you must rely on HbA1C tests as the true measurement of the success of your diabetes program. No matter which meter you choose or how you test, you should never rely on home tests to completely guide your overall course of action.

There are many variables that can affect the accuracy of your readings including, temperature, altitude, time of testing, testing site, meter choice and freshness of test strips.

Here are the most important factors affecting performance.

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Hematocrit:

Hematocrit is the measure of red blood cells in the blood. Patients with higher hematocrit values will generally test lower for blood glucose than patients with normal hematocrit. Patients with lower hematocrit values will test higher. If you know that you have abnormal hematocrit values you should talk over its possible effect on glucose testing (and A1C testing) with your health professional. Anemia and Sickle Cell Anemia are two conditions that bear upon hematocrit values.

Other Substances:

Numerous other substances may interfere with your testing process. These include uric acid (a natural substance in the body that can be denser in some people with diabetes), glutathione (an "anti-oxidant" also called "GSH"), and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). You should check the package insert for each meter to find what substances might affect its testing accuracy, and discuss your concerns with your diabetes caregiver.

Altitude, Temperature, and Humidity:

Altitude, room temperature, and humidity can cause irregular effects on glucose results. Check the meter and test strip box insert for information on these issues. Store and handle the meter and test strips according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Third-Party Test Strips:

Third-party or "generic glucose reagent strips" are test strips produced as a less expensive option than the strips that the original maker intended the meter to be used with. They're commonly developed by replicating the original strips.

While these strips may work on the meter listed on the package, they could look like strips used for other meters. Make certain the test strip you use is correctly matched with your glucose meter.

Occasionally manufacturers modify their meters and their test strips. These alterations are not always conveyed to the third-party strip manufacturers. This can make third-party strips incompatible with your meter without your knowledge. Differences can involve the amount, type or concentration of the chemicals (called "reagents") on the test strip, or the actual size and shape of the strip itself. Meters are responsive to these features of test strips and may not work well or consistently if they're not correct for a meter. If you're doubtful whether or not a certain test strip will work with your meter, contact the manufacturer of your glucose meter.

Performance Goals for Glucose Meters

Deciding performance criteria for glucose meters has been debatable and difficult. Despite efforts in the late 1970s and 1980s by both FDA and CDC, no universally recognised standards or testing methods have been formulated for the measurement of glucose. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recently held a standards conference and is researching the possibility of developing a standard reference material for whole blood.

The ADA has recommended accuracy goals twice over the past twenty years, once in 1986 (target accuracy of +/- 15%) and once in 1993 (target accuracy of +/- 5%) No company that manufactures glucose meters has developed a cost-efficient system to meet these goals. A number of alternative standards have been suggested by national standards organizations in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. An international standard ISO DIS 15197 is currently under development that recommends accuracy of +/- 20 mg/dl (1.11 mmol/l) for glucose values under 100 mg/dl (5.56 mmol/l) and +/- 20% for higher glucose values.

While information on glucose meters continues to show varying performance, the newest generations of meters are less complicated to use and more precise than older models. Improvements in the chemical, mechanical, and software components of glucose meters are continuing to help with the management of diabetes.

Conclusion:

Accurate blood glucose measurement is best achieved by testing yourself in the correct manner. These tests are adequate for day to day therapy but should not be relied upon as the ultimate measure of the success of your diabetes program.

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Glucose Meter Comparison Chart

This glucose meter comparison chart will help you select the meter that's best for you.

You can compare the FreeStyle, Precision Xtra, Contour, TrueTrack, OneTouch and Accu-Chek line of meters. Click on links for individual meters to read my review and rating.

Manufacturer	Abbott Diabetes Care Inc.	Abbott Diabetes Care Inc.	Abbott Diabetes Care Inc.
Meter	FreeStyle Freedom	FreeStyle Flash	Precision Xtra
Technology	Coulometry	Coulometry	Electro chemical
Battery	3-volt Li CR 2032 (1)	3-volt Li CR 2032 (1)	AAA (2)
Strips	Freestyle 50s & 100s	Freestyle 50s & 100s	Precision Xtra 50s & 100s
Testing Time/ Sample Size	5 sec/0.3 uL	7 sec/0.3 uL	5 sec/0.6 uL
Alternate Site Testing	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cleaning Required	No	No	No
Meter Calibration	Manual	Manual	Automatic—Smart Chip
Download Capability/ Memory	Yes/250	Yes/250	Yes/450
Software	Precision Link 2.6	Precision Link 2.6	Precision Link 2.6
Strip Shelf-Life (after opening)	Date on vial	Date on vial	Date on foil packet
Features	Virtually pain-free testing. Largest numeric display of any leading meter makes it easy to read. Ergonomic design makes it easy to hold. 4 programmable alarms. 14-day result average. 60-second sample reapplication time.	Backlit display. 4 daily alarms. Free data cable via mail-in offer. Unaffected by differences in oxygen or high levels of interfering substances. Can fill strip from either side. Can reapply sample for up to 60 seconds.	True Measure Technology. Blood glucose and blood ketone testing. Simple, easy-to-use, easy-to-read meter. New Smart Chip calibration, 5-second blood reapplication time. Strip technology designed to minimize effects on common interfering substances.
Contact Info/Support	1-888-522-5226 24h/7d/week Spanish	1-888-522-5226 24h/7d/week Spanish	1-800-527-3339 24h/7d/week 140-plus languages

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Manufacturer	Bayer	Bayer	Home Diagnostics
Meter	Breeze 2	Contour	TrueTrack Smart System
Technology	Electro chemical	Electro chemical	Biosensor
Battery	3-volt Li (1)	3-volt Li (2)	CR 2032 (1)
Strips	Breeze 2 50s & 100s (Ascensia Autodisc will work in Breeze 2 meter)	Contour 50s & 100s (Ascensia MICROFILL will work in CONTOUR meter)	True Track 50s & 100s
Testing Time/ Sample Size	5 sec countdown/1 uL	5 sec/ 0.6 uL	10 sec/1 uL
Alternate Site Testing	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cleaning Required	No	No	No
Meter Calibration	Automatic	Automatic	Check strip
Download Capability/ Memory	Yes/420	Yes/480	Yes/365
Software	WinGLUCOFACTS	WinGLUCOFACTS	thesmartchoice.com
Strip Shelf-Life (after opening)	Date on foil packet	6 months	3 months
Features	No coding required. Automatically draws blood into strips. Automatic underfill detection. 10-test disc. No individual test strip holding. Received Ease-of-Use Commendation from the Arthritis Foundation. Breeze 2 test strips will only work with Breeze 2 meter.	No coding required. Quick & easy pre/post meal test markings with post-meal test reminder alarm. Automatic hematocrit correction, underfill detection, control marking & temperature control ensure accuracy. 7-day Hi/Lo Test Result summary.	Chip coding capillary action. Audible test strip fill detection.
Contact Info/Support	1-800-348-8100 24h/7d/week Spanish	1-800-348-8100 24h/7d/week Spanish	1-800-342-7226 24h/7d/week Spanish

Manufacturer	Home Diagnostics	Home Diagnostics	LifeScan, Inc.
Meter	Sidekick	Prestige	OneTouch® Ultra®2
Technology	Electro chemical	Reflectance	Biosensor
Battery	Built into meter and never needs to be changed	AAA	3-volt Li CR2032 (2)
Strips	Comes with 50 TrueTrack test strips	Prestige 50s & 100s	OneTouch® Ultra® 25s, 50s & 100s
Testing Time/ Sample Size	5 sec/1 uL	10-50 sec/4 uL	5 sec/1 uL
Alternate Site Testing	Yes	No	Yes
Cleaning Required	No	Yes	No
Meter Calibration	Automatic	Check strip	Check strip
Download Capability/ Memory	No	Yes/365	Yes/500
Software	No	www.thesmartchoice.com	OneTouch® Diabetes Management Software (DMS)
Strip Shelf-Life (after opening)	120 days	3 months	3 months
Features	Disposable after 50 tests. Vial of 50 test strips with built-in meter. Great second meter for the gym, work, school, babysitters, etc.	Easy-to-read screen. Large easy-to-handle test strips.	Meter can flag results as before or after meal. Flagged results are automatically stored as before- or after-meal averages. Includes Simple Start™ Diabetes + Food 20-minute DVD and booklet.
Contact Info/Support	1-800-342-7226 24h/7d/week Spanish	1-866-IQ METER or 1-800-342-7226 24h/7d/week Spanish	1-800-227-8862 24h/7d/week Spanish 1-800-381-7226

Manufacturer	Lifescan, Inc.	Lifescan, Inc.	Lifescan, Inc.
Meter	OneTouch® Ultra®	OneTouch® UltraSmart®	OneTouch® UltraMini®
Technology	Electro chemical	Electro chemical	Electro chemical
Battery	3-volt Li	AAA (2)	3-volt Li CR 2032 (1)
Strips	OneTouch® Ultra® 25s, 50s & 100s	OneTouch® Ultra® 25s, 50s & 100s	OneTouch® Ultra® 25s, 50s & 100s
Testing Time/ Sample Size	5 sec/1 uL	5 sec/1 uL	5 sec/1 uL
Alternate Site Testing	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cleaning Required	No	No	No
Meter Calibration	Check strip	Check strip	Check strip
Download Capability/ Memory	Yes/150	Yes/>3000	No/50
Software	OneTouch® Diabetes Management Software (DMS)	OneTouch® Diabetes Management Software (DMS)	N/A
Strip Shelf-Life (after opening)	3 months	3 months	3 months
Features	Easy-to-read screen. Small meter size. Fast test time. Includes Simple Start™ educational booklet.	Input daily activities. Chart, graph and track trends. Meter size is small. Automatically organizes before- and after-meal results. Backlight. Fast test time. Includes Simple Start™ Diabetes + Insulin educational booklet.	Small, lightweight, and easy to handle. Large, easy-to-read display and fast test time. Simple three-step testing. Includes Simple Start™ educational booklet.
Contact Info/Support	1-800-227-8862 24h/7d/week Spanish: 1-800-381-7226	1-800-227-8862 24h/7d/week Spanish: 1-800-381-7226	1-800-227-8862 24h/7d/week Spanish: 1-800-381-7226

Manufacturer	Roche	Roche	Roche
Meter	Accu-Chek Aviva	Accu-Chek Advantage	Accu-Chek Compact Plus
Technology	Electro chemical	Electro chemical	Reflectance
Battery	3-volt Li (1) CR2032	3-volt Li (3) CR2032	AAA (2)
Strips	Accu-Chek Aviva 50s & 100s	Accu-Chek Comfort Curve 50s & 100s	Accu-Chek Compact Drums 51s & 102s
Testing Time/ Sample Size	5 sec/0.6 uL	25 sec/4-10 uL	5 sec/1.5 uL
Alternate Site Testing	Yes	No	Yes
Cleaning Required	No	No	Yes
Meter Calibration	Code Key	Code Key	Automatic
Download Capability/ Memory	Yes/500	Yes/480	Yes/300
Software	Compass/ Camit Pro	Compass/ Camit Pro	Compass/ Camit Pro
Strip Shelf-Life (after opening)	Date on vial	Date on vial	Date on vial
Features	Wide-mouth test strips for easier blood application. Touchable test strip. Preset time and date with battery back-up. Comes with Accu-Chek Multiclix Lancing Device.	Curved strip guides finger to target area for easier blood application. Bold, easy-to-read display. Easily used by the patient with visual or dexterity issues.	All-in-one convenience with no strip handling. The one with the drum. Simple to use for the patient with physical or dexterity issues. No coding. Lancet device can be attached or detached from meter.
Contact Info/Support	1-800-858-8072 24h/7d/week Many languages	1-800-858-8072 24h/7d/week Many languages	1-800-858-8072 24h/7d/ week Many languages

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