The app is called Freestyle Libre, and it has gained a lot of traction as a complement to diabetes control and monitoring.
To use the app, you need a sensor that is worn on your arm.
How it works?
First point is, download the app, which is available for Android and Iphone, the app is light and super easy to download, it doesn't take up much space.
But what information can the App deliver?
You can use the FreeStyle LibreLink app to:
- View your current glucose level reading, trend arrow and glucose level history
- Add notes to track your food, insulin use and exercise
- View reports such as Time on Target and Daily Patterns
- Share your data with your doctor and family, with your permission.
The FreeStyle LibreLink is intended to measure glucose levels in individuals with diabetes when used with the sensor.
For more information on how to use FreeStyle LibreLink, refer to the User Manual, which can be accessed through the application.
It is worth remembering that only the application does not, without the sensor, it is not possible to monitor.
How to get the sensor?
The sensor is a device that will read and communicate with the application, which in turn can be found in different places, such as: Pharmacies, Free Market, health equipment stores, etc.
The average price on 09/27/21 on the day we wrote this article was R$ 250.00, this on the internet, prices in face-to-face stores may vary depending on your state and city.
Can the SUS pay the cost of the sensor?
A clearly complicated point is the value we left above, it is expensive for most Brazilians, so the question arises, should the SUS pay for this type of device?
This is a delicate subject, because according to reports, even though the sensor is fundamental for people with diabetes, SUS has denied the obligation to fund this device, however, when contacting some law firms, we identified an increase in the number of people questioning this decision.
On the website of lawyer Elton Fernandes, he points out that:
"As we know, if Diabetes is not properly controlled, it can cause irreversible damage to important organs in our body, attacking mainly the kidneys and thus developing an extremely complicated clinical picture for treatment".
and keeps going:
“This time, if we look at it from an economic perspective, it is much cheaper for the State to supply this sensor so that the patient can control the disease, preventing it from evolving into a more serious condition, such as impaired renal function.
Evidently, if the kidney function is compromised, the State will have to pay for an extremely more expensive and painful treatment, and the denial would be unintelligent.”
Therefore, the understanding of the Court of Justice of São Paulo is that the SUS should fund Sensor Libre, as long as two requirements are met, need, via medical report, and financial need, via proof of income.
Sources:
Sensor Libre – should SUS pay for? Understand now! – Elton Fernandes – SP