Prior knowledge of blood glucose meter download improves the accuracy of verbal self-reported blood glucose in teenagers with type I diabetes at ski camp

Aims Despite advances in diabetes management, self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) remains fundamental. A number of studies, principally in adults, have confirmed that logbook entries and verbal SMBG reports are prone to common errors. In the context of an adolescent diabetes camp, the accuracy of verbally reported SMBG is crucial for guiding safe therapeutic management, and negating the risk of exercise-induced hypoglycemia. We aimed to assess whether awareness of a planned meter download at the completion of a diabetes camp would improve the overall accuracy of verbally reported SMBG. Methods Adolescents with type one diabetes ( n = 26) attended a 3-day ski camp in 2014. Verbally reported SMBG values were recorded by camp supervisors at multiple time points throughout the camp. The intervention involved ensuring that all participants (at camp commencement) were aware of a planned meter download and SMBG review at camp conclusion. These data were then compared with historical camp data from 2012, collected using identical methodology, in which participants ( n = 20) were unaware of the planned meter download. For analysis, blood glucose (BGL) data were classified as: matching, phantom (verbal SMBG value with no corresponding meter download value), and over- or underestimate (verbally reported value >/