Dexcom G7 Review is my experience to date using the receiver provided and my Android Smartphone. It has been interesting so far. I have seen many Glitzy commercials for this product and some seem slightly misleading. I hope to provide my input so anyone getting the product may not be surprised by it.
Startup
In my opinion, the instructions could be clearer, but would probably require more paper or better pictures. Once the box is opened and you have the sensor, you unscrew the top and hold the sensor inserter on the back or under your arm. (I am always afraid if I touch the “trigger” button too soon, it will go off before it is in place.) Press the sensor holder to your arm and then press the button. Next comes the tricky part: press the green ring at the sensor and press to get a seal, I guess. It is almost a two-person operation.
Dexcom G7 Testing
Once the sensor has been inserted, it has to be paired to the receiver and Smartphone (via Bluetooth if used.) My experience with pairing is when the receiver is paired first, the Smartphone seems to take a lot longer. After pairing there is a “warm-up” period before test results are displayed. The first test results displayed are not always accurate. This is where the “finger stick” method is still needed. I test a new sensor with the finger stick method after an hour, and then the next day to calibrate the sensor/receiver.
Connecting
My endocrinologist is the one who prescribed the Dexcom G7. It is possible to connect to the endocrinologist using the Clarity app. It isn’t too difficult to do that, but the Clarity app isn’t updating the current date on the display. When the connection n is made, it sends the wrong date range to the endocrinologist. A direct connection to the receiver seems to be the best solution at the office. Connecting to a Smartphone allows a visual display of the current blood sugar levels without carrying the receiver. A graph of the levels over time is also a nice feature on either unit.
Support
This Dexcom G7 review wouldn’t be complete without my experience with their support. One of the first sensors I installed gave a reading of 20 after the Warm-up period. My body let me know this wasn’t correct. I checked the finger-stick method and found what the correct level was. When the sensor was calibrated the receiver, still displayed that the sensor needed to be replaced. I decided to try re-syncing the receiver first. It still displayed to replace the sensor, which I did. A week later I tried to contact Dexcom support and ended up using the Online support. I entered all pertinent information into the system and then, I was sent to a live chat person. After telling this person the same information (what are computers for Dexcom?) he agreed to send a replacement, but chastised me for not reporting it immediately.
Dexcom G7 Review Conclusion
Two of the first shipment of nine Sensors I received were “Dead at Arrival”. Not very good Quality Control! Since then, there have been a few Sensors that didn’t last the full ten days. My Medicare plan is paying for the Dexcom G7 system, but I am not sure they are always getting what they (and I) pay for. The system is working, but there seems to be a need for Quality Control and not Quality Assurance!