As a user of LifeScan glucose meters, I was eager to take a look at their diabetes management software.

Wasting no time, I installed the software, hooked up the data cable, grabbed my trusty UltraSmart glucose meter and started the software by clicking on the OneTouch icon.

In the Patient Setup area I was able to enter my personal information—the type of diabetes I have, desired glucose ranges, details about the medications I take and so on. One helpful feature in Patient Setup is the Schedule screen, which allows for two schedules: one for workdays and one for your days off . This is a very nice feature since you can choose different times for meals and different glucose ranges for days when you are not following your everyday routine.

The software is designed to operate like a Web browser. There is a “home” screen and the ever-present “Back” button to return to a previous screen. Four prominent buttons are located in the middle of the home screen: Setup, Download Meter, View Reports and Manually Enter Data.

The “Download Meter” button takes you to the screen that allows you to retrieve data from the glucose meter.

Clicking on “View Reports” displays a screen that allows you to select the type of report you want to view and whether it is to be displayed on the screen or output to a printer. Any combination of reports may be selected and printed. If a report is viewed on the screen, three buttons on the toolbar allow you to print, e-mail or fax the report.

Offers a Variety of Reports

The OneTouch software offers a number of reports such as Logbook, Glucose Trend, Standard Day, Insulin, Pie Chart, Health Checks, Summary, Average Readings and Exception.

The Health Checks report shows health-related factors such as blood pressure, weight, doctor visits and results of A1C tests.

The helpful Summary report provides a snapshot of key reports for a given time period.

Another nice feature is the Favorite Report, which has its own button at the top of the screen.

A Version for Healthcare Professionals

A professional version is also available. The professional version adds a few more features, including SnapShot, which will automatically download the meter when it is plugged into the data cable. In a busy medical office where many meters are downloaded each day, this can be a big timesaver.

And Best of All, It’s Free!

The OneTouch software is available free of charge and can be downloaded from the LifeScan Web site. However, the program is sizable, and downloading is recommended only if you have high-speed Internet access. If you are using a regular dial-up line for your Internet connection, contact LifeScan to get the software on CD for $29.99. The total price for a data cable and software on CD is $59.98.

For more information, contact LifeScan Customer Service at (800) 227-8862, or visit www.lifescan.com.

Q: Will the OneTouch software run on a Macintosh personal computer?

A: No. LifeScan does not plan to support the Macintosh computer.

Q: Is it possible to download multiple meters and merge the data?

A: Yes. OneTouch will allow you to merge the data into a single database.

The OneTouch software runs on several versions of Windows including Windows 95c, 98SE, NT 4, 2000, ME and XP. You need 60 MB of disk space, 64 MB of RAM, a serial or USB port, a CD-ROM drive and a video monitor with 800 x 600 screen resolution and 256 colors. A data cable to download from the glucose meter is required and can be obtained from LifeScan for $29.99.

OneTouch Diabetes Management Software works with the following meters:

• OneTouch Ultra
• OneTouch UltraSmart
• OneTouch Basic
• OneTouch SureStep
• OneTouch Profile
• OneTouch FastTake
• OneTouch II
• InDuo