LifeScan is tackling the social stigma of blood testing for people with diabetes. Recent research* by the company found that a third of all British people with diabetes fail to regularly test themselves, particularly when out and about in public. This is in part because of the embarrassment at using existing monitoring devices, which are conspicuously clinical in appearance.
Many patients refer to the chore of daily blood testing and the embarrassment of devices that draw attention to the fact that they have a health problem as reasons for skipping regular testing, the consequences of which will inevitably be an increase in serious diabetes-related health problems.
To counter this worrying trend, Johnson & Johnson’s LifeScan has created a monitoring device more suited to modern life. OneTouch UltraEasy Colours is much smaller in size and comes in a selection of colours, just like iPods and MP3 players, to help overcome the stigma associated with diabetes and ensure patients feel more comfortable when testing. In colour creative tests conducted in June 2007 for LifeScan with 151 diabetics in the UK by Decision Analyst, more than one in five patients said they would be more inclined to use the OneTouch UltraEasy Colours product as its compact size and sleek non-clinical design offer a more discreet blood testing system that makes regular monitoring feel less daunting.
From today, OneTouch UltraEasy Colours will be available exclusively in over 1,300 Lloyds pharmacies across the UK for one month before becoming available in other retailers.The devices will also soon be available online at www.ultraeasy.eu
To find a pharmacy go to www.lloydspharmacy.co.uk
Olivier Lechanoine, Marketing Director for LifeScan UK & Ireland , says, “With the OneTouch UltraEasy Colours product, we want to help take the anxiety out of diabetes testing. Not only does the discreet OneTouch LifeScan meter give a simple and accurate reading in just five seconds, but its size and design make it look nothing like the clinical devices you would normally associate with blood glucose testing.”
Diabetes in the UK
The UK has one of the fastest growing rates of diabetes in the developed world, with 3.93% of the population (almost 2.4 million Britons) suffering from diabetes.
At present there are 1.78 million meter users in the UK who collectively have to perform an estimated 810 million vital blood tests per year. However, research by LifeScan reveals that diabetes patients are becoming more and more complacent when it comes to proactive engagement in managing their diabetes.
Worryingly, over a third of diabetes patients do not test as often as recommended by their doctor or health care advisor, largely because of the lifestyles they lead. Whether it is forgetfulness (60%), frustration and inconvenience at having to test (28% respectively), or simply being too busy (22%); hundreds of thousands of patients are putting their lives at risk by neglecting to test at the recommended times.
New OneTouch UltraEasy Colours are available in pink, green and red/black. They are priced at £12.99 excl VAT.
