Keeping tabs on your blood pressure is about to get a lot easier and more efficient, thanks to a new release from OMRON Healthcare, Inc.
OMRON has been releasing an extensive range of home health care products for years, including their popular blood pressure monitors you can find just about anywhere. Now, they’re bringing that into the 21st century.
OMRON created VitalSight, a remote patient monitoring program, for high-risk hypertension patients. It’s an easy-to-use service that physicians can use to enroll patients with high-risk levels of hypertension or uncontrolled high blood pressure. Patients receive a kit delivered directly to their homes.
The kit includes an OMRON-connected blood pressure monitor and data hub pre-set to securely share measurements with the patient’s physician and care team. The data from VitalSight can be integrated directly with their existing Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system or through the OMRON Doctor Dashboard.
Doctors are notified if their pre-selected blood pressure thresholds are met and sent automatic notifications through the EMR that signal when a patient has readings that indicate if action is needed.
“Hypertension statistics are remarkable in the U.S. and globally,” said Bill Fillipp, senior marketing communications and brand manager. “The American Heart Association estimates that nearly 116 million U.S. adults are in the hypertensive range, and the CDC reports that 37 million of them have uncontrolled Stage 2 hypertension — that means they’re at a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. OMRON created VitalSight for those high-risk hypertensive patients. The goal is for it to lead to more active condition management and more patient-to-physician dialogue.”
Fillipp pointed out one aspect that excites OMRON is its availability at little to no cost for patients, depending on their Medicare coverage.
VitalSight launched at CES 2021 back in January and has since partnered with major medical institutions around the country. The system is currently in pilot programs at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, and Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.
“Early feedback from physicians shows that VitalSight is quickly helping doctors improve engagement with patients on their treatment plans,” Fillipp said. “It’s the latest offering from OMRON that works toward our corporate mission of Going for Zero — the elimination of heart attack and stroke.”
Fillipp knows the goal is a lofty one but said the company is constantly pushing to get closer and closer to that number through more innovative products and services.
OMRON is a Japanese company with local operations in various locales across the globe and products reaching 120 countries. In 2020, the company reported $5.9 billion in global sales. OMRON also has corporate legs stretching into other industries, including industrial automation, social systems, environmental solutions, and mechanical components.
OMRON was first established in 1933 as Tateisi Electric Manufacturing Co. when the company got its start producing X-ray timers. ■
