Sometimes you will want to know your HbA1c but, for one reason or another, it may be difficult to visit a diabetes clinic. For example, you may want to test your HbA1c at shorter intervals after a change in your insulin dose. A home test for monitoring HbA1c may then be practical. Another way is to put a few drops of blood on a filter paper and send it to the laboratory. This might be particularly useful if you are traveling, and cannot get hold of a doctor who knows enough about you or your diabetes. If you have well-controlled diabetes, sending an HbA1c test every 3 months may be fine. You can call your diabetes team to discuss the result.
If your healthcare team uses “HbA1c by mail” for routine testing, make sure you have taken the test long enough in advance to have the results ready in time for your next visit.
This content is based on Dr Ragnar Hanas' helpful book, Type 1 Diabetes in children, adolescents and young adults. Click here to order copies of Dr Hanas' book online.