Point-of-care blood glucose testing: post-market performance assessment of the Accu-Chek Inform II hospital-use glucose meter

Abstract

Background. A point-of-care glucose testing (POCT) is an essential component of care in patients with hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia in inpatient and outpatient medical facilities (MFs). In MFs conventional glucose meters designed for self-monitoring by patients with diabetes are commonly used for POCT. These home-use meters have two serious disadvantages: the first is large measurement bias and the second – they can’t be integrated into laboratory information systems, so measurement data have to be recorded into patient charts manually. Both factors may lead to medical errors. It is reasonable to use in the MFs specialized POCT glucose meters, as they are superior to conventional ones in accuracy and may be easily connected to laboratory information systems. With this in mind, physicians at the Russian Children’s Clinical Hospital – Branch of Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University – decided to substitute conventional meters with the Accu-Chek Inform II POCT meter, however, after preliminary performance assessment of the model.
 Aim. To test the Accu-Chek Inform II performance characteristics: accuracy, linearity, repeatability, mean absolute relative difference.
 Materials and methods. Performance of the Accu-Chek Inform II was tested by comparing the results of parallel CGL measurements with the meter and reference laboratory analyzer in capillary blood samples. Overall, 99 parallel CGL measurements were made in 45 samples. Accuracy was evaluated according to the ISO 15197-2013 and POCT12-A3 criteria.
 Results. The Accu-Chek Inform II meter met the requirements of ISO 15197-2013 and POCT12-A3 and demonstrated high linearity (correlation coefficient, r=1.0), good repeatability (mean coefficient of variation, CV=1.38%) and acceptable mean absolute relative difference (4.9%).
 Conclusion. The Accu-Chek Inform II POCT glucose meter may be efficiently and safely used in inpatient and outpatient MFs and particularly in pediatric clinics.