Digital Health Integration and Connectivity Standards (POCT1-A/Bluetooth)

The utility of diabetic test strips has expanded beyond simple chemistry through Digital Health Integration, transforming them into connected IoT endpoints. In clinical settings, the POCT1-A standard enables bidirectional communication between meters and Hospital Information Systems, enforcing strict Quality Control (QC) lockouts and preventing the use of unverified strip lots. In the consumer market, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and the IEEE 11073 standard have replaced proprietary cables, allowing for semantic interoperability with smartphones and third-party aggregators like Apple Health. Furthermore, the emergence of Cellular IoT meters (pioneered by Livongo) allows for real-time data transmission to the cloud without user intervention, facilitating Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and advanced supply chain analytics to detect grey market diversion.