Ascensia’s Contour Next One meter (front) and smartphone Contour Diabetes app (back).
As of today there is a newer, smarter app that works with Ascensia’s Contour Next One blood test meter. An update on the existing app – and available for free from both Apple’s App Store as well as in an Android version from GooglePlay – it has several new features that help interpret blood test results in order to help users gain more from the tests they have already taken. Feedback on the earlier version of the app has been incorporated from users.
The latest version of the app can recognise 14 different patterns and includes 11 different structured testing plans. The My Patterns feature identifies patterns in blood glucose results that could affect the health of people with diabetes, prompts them to think about the causes, and offers easy-to-follow advice and helpful reminders.
Ros Barker, Country Head UK and Ireland for Ascensia Diabetes Care, says of the newly upgraded tool, “This latest upgrade to the Contour Diabetes app provides patients with a smarter tool that can help to make the self-management of their diabetes easier. We are very excited to be able to
The app can track patterns. You can choose to “Learn More” if you wish.
bring this new innovation to people with diabetes. At Ascensia we are listening to feedback from people with diabetes about their needs, and are continuing to invest in the further development of the Contour Diabetes app, so that we can provide solutions that make diabetes self-management better, easier and smarter.”
In this version of the app, the Blood Sugar Reports section shows a summary report as well as added patterns information. Within the Blood Sugar Diary section, which is similar to a logbook but which goes beyond simply listing results, you can see blood glucose results but also carb and insulin values that you have inputted but in a way that can aid self-discovery of patterns and trends for as long as a 3-month period, one page per week. Data can be easily exported as a .csv file and can therefore be viewed on a multiple platform or imported into a spreadsheet.
The app has been developed with the input of Dr Bill Fisher, a Canadian psychologist who has studied the science of behavior and proposed an ‘information, motivation and behavior skills model for chronic diseases’ which has been applied to diabetes. The three key elements – information, motivation and behavioural skills
The app can suggest possible causes for patterns which can lead to behavioural change.
– can help people with diabetes to make the best use of blood testing and improve their self-management, possibly leading to a reduction in HbA1c levels (given time, studies of the use of this app to improve control are likely to prove this).
Says Barker, “It’s the ongoing nature of interacting with the app that can lead to behaviour changes and health improvements. The app will continue to evolve in the future to include additional patterns and testing plans, as well as adding new features and functionality.”
For more information, visit www.contournextone.co.uk (UK) and www.contournextone.ie (Republic of Ireland).
News items and features like this appear in the Desang Diabetes Magazine, our free-to-receive digital journal. We cover diabetes news, diabetes management equipment (diabetes ‘kit’ such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring equipment) and news about food suitable for a diabetic diet including a regular Making Carbs Count column. Go to the top of this page to sign up – we just need your email address.
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