Global heart health leader spotlights new services in the U.S., U.K., and Singapore, designed to strengthen the patient-physician connection, guide behavior change, and reduce risk; demonstrates advanced mobile app that coaches users to understand their data and act on it; and highlights partnership with Kyoto University to research how AI could prevent cardiac events
OMRON Healthcare, Inc., the global leader in remote blood pressure monitoring and personal health technology, is introducing its new remote patient monitoring services at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) along with its connected blood pressure monitors and an advanced mobile app – all designed to support every consumer, no matter where they are on their heart health journey. With a focus on advancing the company’s mission of Going for Zero™ heart attacks and strokes, OMRON is also presenting the future of its offering and the heart health category through a collaborative research initiative that will investigate how artificial intelligence can analyze blood pressure metrics to predict cardiovascular diseases accurately at an early stage.
The range of remote patient monitoring services from OMRON – VitalSight™ in the United States, Hypertension Plus in the U.K., and HeartVoice in Singapore – are designed to foster greater active health condition management, strengthen the patient-physician connection, and guide behavior change that reduces or eliminates heart attack and stroke risk.
“OMRON began developing our remote patient monitoring services three years ago, before the pandemic. We’ve applied nearly 50 years of category leadership, consumer insights, and physician collaboration to develop remote patient services that are easy to set up, easy to use, and medically accurate. These services flag urgent data for physicians and provide a lifeline for those facing the highest hypertension risks,” said OMRON Healthcare President and CEO, Ranndy Kellogg.
“Our recent innovations and investment in our OMRON Connect app has shown us a vast consumer appetite for heart health coaching. As we look to the future, OMRON is studying the role AI can play in real-time analysis and expert guidance to help consumers significantly reduce their health risks. That’s what Going for Zero is all about,” said Kellogg.
VitalSight from OMRON, setting a new standard in remote patient monitoring
VitalSight is the first remote patient monitoring service from OMRON Healthcare. With over 50 years of category study and innovation, OMRON is the global leader in remote blood pressure monitoring and personal heart health technology. This latest innovation is designed specifically for hypertension management and data sharing to improve treatment engagement and health outcomes.
According to the American Heart Association’s national blood pressure guidelines, 116 million U.S. adults are in the hypertensive range1 and the CDC reports that 37 million of them have uncontrolled Stage 2 hypertension with a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. For those at the higher end of the hypertension scale, that risk is even higher during the pandemic as the health care system is overwhelmed in some areas. Hypertension is an underlying health condition carrying greater risk of complications from COVID-19.2
VitalSight is an easy-to-use service that a physician can offer to patients with high-risk levels of hypertension. Patients receive a kit delivered to their home that includes an OMRON connected blood pressure monitor and data hub that are pre-set to securely share measurements – digitally – with the patient’s physician and care team.
The VitalSight data hub does not require Wi-Fi or cellular connection, which factor into access to care gaps for many patients.
“VitalSight engages patients more in their hypertension management. This service securely shares accurate patient data with the patient’s care team and provides clinically relevant information that evolves treatment. Physicians who immediately adopted VitalSight are already telling us they are gaining greater insights into their patients and noting measurable behavior change for better heart health,” said Jeffrey Ray, executive director of business and technology at OMRON.
VitalSight can be integrated with the physician’s Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system or through the VitalSight Dashboard for easy data analysis, which provides automatic notifications to alert the physician and when a patient has readings that require action to be taken.
“VitalSight also improves access to care and greater hypertension management for patients who have limited mobility, live in underserved communities, have limited access to in-person care, or face other challenges in visiting their doctor. That’s essential to Going for Zero,” added Ray.
OMRON is partnering with forward-thinking hospital systems and independent physicians in the U.S., including Northwestern Medicine in Chicago and physicians working to bridge health gaps in underserved communities.
Hypertension Plus, a first step toward transforming chronic care in the U.K.
Hypertension Plus is a remote patient monitoring service from OMRON Healthcare, providing a new way of managing hypertension for patients and connecting them to the physician and care team. Hypertension Plus is the first step to transforming how chronic care is managed in the U.K. – by improving the patient-physician connection, guiding behavior change, and reducing health risks.
“Hypertension Plus makes hypertension management more efficient by automatically coding blood pressure readings, providing evidence-based support, guided active condition management, and enabling remote approval of medication titrations. With Hypertension Plus, the patient is more engaged in managing their condition and the physician has more data and insights to refine treatment,” said Paul Stevens, OMRON Healthcare Europe connected services and solutions director.
Hypertension Plus by OMRON provides an app that enables a patient to work remotely with their physician to manage their condition. Medication decisions and actions are communicated to users through the app and automated reminders and scheduled condition management actions keep the patient engaged in treatment.
With Hypertension Plus, the physician remains in control of all remote patient care and integration with medical records systems EMIS and SystmOne. This ensures that decisions taken within the platform are stored – safely and securely – in the patient record.
OMRON is partnering with the U.K.’s top clinical commissioning groups and physician practices, including Dorset, North-West London and Cheshire, to introduce Hypertension Plus and advance meaningful change to how chronic care is managed.
HeartVoice, addressing management of chronic conditions in Singapore
HeartVoice is a joint venture between OMRON Healthcare and iAPPS Pte Ltd., in Singapore, which offers a full suite of medical technology solutions for the healthcare provider, patient and corporation, and helps those who participate in the service, manage their condition and achieve better health outcomes.
HeartVoice originated in 2019 as a corporate wellness program leveraging OMRON’s advanced technology. In 2020, the program expanded and HeartVoice evolved to include telemedicine and remote patient monitoring offerings.
“HeartVoice provides a holistic approach to wellness, including regular screening check-ups for pre-emptive detection and early intervention with coaching for active and effective condition management. The service also provides chronic disease management, including curated physician programs, remote patient monitoring of health vitals, and follow-up appointments via video consultation. Patients get expert guidance and can receive medication refills delivered to their home,” said Daisuke Nozaki, managing director of HeartVoice by OMRON.
HeartVoice helps medical professionals stay connected with patients, even amid distance barriers. Using the HeartVoice telehealth platform, the physician can provide telemedicine consultations and remote patient monitoring programs to the patient to treat acute and chronic conditions.
Through the HeartVoice app, the patient and physician communicate more and can work remotely through digitalized health screening reports and continuous monitoring of patients’ vitals taken at-home to ensure more active condition management, simple behavior changes and progress towards better health outcomes.
Through this joint venture, OMRON has partnered with more than 600 corporate clients to offer HeartVoice to patients and support treatment of acute and chronic conditions.
“While OMRON is tailoring our global remote patient monitoring services in each market, every service we offer is designed to foster active condition management, strengthen the patient-physician connection, and guide behavior change, all with the goal of reducing health risks,” said Kellogg.
OMRON Connect, real-time coaching to reduce health risk
Representing a significant upgrade for all its connected blood pressure monitors, the company is also demonstrating its new OMRON Connect app at CES, which now syncs with all OMRON connected devices and serves as a personal heart health coach with insights into one’s blood pressure readings, guidance to manage hypertension and incentives for behavior change.
“Our OMRON Connect app now provides personalized insights based on daily activities and lifestyle along with real-time coaching so users can act on their data to benefit their health. Users can securely store their data, track it over time, and share it with a physician if they choose to do so,” said Jill Person, OMRON Healthcare director of product marketing.
The OMRON Connect app features an optional premium paid subscription that gives users access to heart health report cards and rewards. Users can earn rewards through regular monitoring and behavior changes, which can help offset the price of membership.
Later in 2022, OMRON will add more features to personalize the OMRON Connect app experience. These personalization upgrades will include more data analytics, additional support for hypertension management, and an option to engage with other app users as a global support community.
“Our OMRON Connect app increases the value of every one of our connected blood pressure monitors. The community engagement coming later in 2022 will be designed to support those seeking support and inspiration for their care. This digital service is another path toward more active condition management, behavior change, and risk reduction – all essential to Going for Zero,” said Person.
OMRON Connect is available as a free download on the Apple App Store and Google Play stores.
Exploration of AI to prevent cardiac events
At CES 2022, OMRON Healthcare is also spotlighting its new collaborative research program with Kyoto University, which will investigate how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can accurately predict cardiovascular diseases at an early stage.
“Going for Zero requires bold advancements and partnerships that break new ground in the quest to eliminate heart attack and stroke. Our collaboration with Kyoto University is another example of how OMRON Healthcare is partnering with like-minded organizations to improve outcomes and make measurable strides in our bold mission to save lives,” said Kellogg.
Launched in Spring 2021, the OMRON Healthcare and Kyoto University research program is focusing on development of a novel blood pressure management method, which analyzes biological data sets, such as body weight, body composition, and habits such as smoking and drinking.
The program will explore how to use AI to analyze blood pressure metrics for early detection of cardiovascular diseases, which could be used to detect signs of events faster and with higher probability so that treatment can be adjusted, realizing the prevention of cardiovascular events.
In recent years, OMRON Healthcare has dominated news from CES with introductions of HeartGuide, the first wearable blood pressure monitor, and Complete, the first two-in-one blood pressure monitor with built-in EKG.
To learn more about OMRON Healthcare, the company’s Going for Zero mission and its innovations, connect with the OMRON team virtually at CES 2022 from January 5-8, 2022, visit OmronHealthcare.com, and follow OMRON Healthcare on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
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