Product:

Personal A1c

Manufacturer:

Abnova

The Personal A1c Diabetes HbA1c Rapid Test Kit allows people to test whether they have sugar levels in a diabetic range.

It will show whether your

HbA1c level

is either:

• 48 mmol/mol (6.5%) or greater
• Or below this figure

The test may therefore be useful for people that want to know whether their HbA1c is in a healthier range.

In the UK, diabetes tests are provided by your GP and so if you need to check for diabetes, it is important you see your GP.

If you wish to test your HbA1c at homen, you are free to do so but the test by the doctors should take priority and will be more accurate. An

HbA1c test

from the doctors can also show you if your HbA1c is in the prediabetic range, which is something that the Personal A1c test cannot.

How the test works

The test provides all the tools you need to perform the test at home. The test can be prepared and completed within 15 minutes.

Take a while to read and understand the instructions before proceeding.

A single-use lancing device is included which allows you to draw blood. The blood is drawn into a dropper-like device and then mixed with a solution.

The solution is then applied to a specific area of the testing device.

If the ambient temperature is below a certain level, a heat pad is provided which, when activated, stimulates a chemical reaction that gently warms the pad. The testing device can be placed on the pad to achieve the necessary temperature.

The test requires a waiting time of between 10 and 15 minutes.

What we found when using the kit

The instructions were well laid out but a couple of the steps could have been a touch clearer.

The long, blue lancet cap on the lancing device simply needs to be twisted off.

The heat pad requires a small metal oval to be fully folded over to activate the reaction that causes the heat pad to warm up.

The lancing device is single-use only and one of our staff members didn’t managed to draw blood on the first attempt and therefore had to use their own lancing device to draw blood.

The results were in line with what our users, with

type 1 diabetes

, were expecting given their recent HbA1c results from their doctors and their recent level of control.

Product:

A1cNow

Manufacturer:

PTS Diagnostics

A1cNow is a home testing kit for HbA1c. The test requires a drop of blood and allows you to get a good reading of your HbA1c level within a few minutes.

The kit allows you to get an up to date HbA1c reading between the official

HbA1c tests

from your healthcare team.

The A1cNow kit should not be used, however, as a replacement for the tests you get from your health team.

Summary

Overall, the test was swift, easy and provides a very clear, useful result.

• The process was quick
• The kit has been designed to make things easy.
• Result given as a numerical figure is very useful.
• The instructions are fairly clear and simple but rely on the user’s intuition to correctly interpret the images and a little more wording could help to improve clarity.

Getting set up

The design of the kit made the set-up fairly easy. The instructions are image based than word based. Whilst the images well laid out, they rely on people’s intuition to make sure they open the right pouch in the right order. It is important that the cartridge pack is not opened too early.

Our user had no problem with setting up but felt that some additional words to accompany the images might have helped.

Lancing device

The lancing device worked as intended. It requires a fairly solid push into the finger. This might perturb some people that are squeamish about finger prick tests, however, our user didn’t have an issue with this.

Blood collection

The lancing device worked as intended and the blood collection tool is well designed.

The part of the process that presented a small issue for our user was that the instructions could have been a little clearer in the use of the blood uptake tool. Our user missed that the blood uptake tool needed to be held horizontally rather than vertically to draw blood.

Reagent mixing and sample application

The reagent mixing and sample application parts of the process were clear and very easy to carry out with minimal fuss.

The meter provides a five-minute countdown on screen after the sample is applied. The user noted that this was useful.

Result

The result is given in numerical form which is very handy. The result remains on screen for up to an hour which should provide more than enough time to note it down.

The result received by our user was in line with their level of control.

Summary

Overall, the user was very impressed with the product and would have no hesitation using it again.

If you are someone that wants to obtain an HbA1c reading in between your official HbA1c tests, the A1cNow presents a good option.

Home HbA1c testing kits allow you the chance to get a good idea of your

HbA1c level

This can be useful in between getting scheduled

HbA1c tests
from your doctor.

Note that home HbA1c tests should not be used as a substitute for the tests from your doctor and should be not be used in place of an official

diagnosis.

There are 2 different types of HbA1c tests:

• A blood test which is sent to your home which you can send back via the post
• A HbA1c meter which calculates your HbA1c at the time of testing

How do home HbA1c blood tests work?

Home HbA1c blood tests involve a package being sent to you home address containing everything you need to take a blood sample.

Once the blood sample is taken, simply send this back to the provider and you will receive your test results in 1 to 3 days.

• Buy an at-home blood test

How home HbA1c test kits work

Home HbA1c tests can often be carried out within a relatively short space of time.

Most home HbA1c tests require a sample of blood from the finger which is then applied to a solution.

The solution usually requires a small bit of processing, which can vary depending on the kit. The solution may require one or more of the following: shaking, heating or letting to stand. The solution is then applied to a reagent.

The result may be given in different ways depending on the kit.

Some kits provide a numeric result, others may provide a yes or no answer as to whether the HbA1c value is above or below a certain number.

Make sure you read the instructions through carefully before beginning.

Personal A1c


The Personal A1c Diabetes HbA1c Rapid Test Kit allows people to test whether they have sugar levels in a diabetic range.

• 
  Personal A1c Meter Profile

A1cNow


A1cNow is a home testing kit for HbA1c. The test requires a drop of blood and allows you to get a good reading of your HbA1c level within a few minutes.

• 
  A1cNow Meter Profile