CES 2023: OMRON Healthcare Reaches 50 Years of Heart Health Leadership, Unveils New U.K. Remote Patient Monitoring Service, and Sets Sights on the AFib Epidemic

Global heart health leader charts path forward in its Going for Zero mission with RPM services Viso and VitalSight and builds on breakthrough innovations transforming the global heart health market

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Jan. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OMRON Healthcare, Inc., the global leader in remote blood pressure monitoring and personal health technology, is unveiling its new U.K. remote patient monitoring service at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and setting its sights on the growing Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) epidemic as the renowned brand reaches its 50^th year of heart health leadership. Known for delivering on promises made at CES, OMRON Healthcare is detailing progress the company is making in its Going for Zero mission to eliminate heart attack and stroke and charting the path forward as it continues to innovate and educate to achieve better outcomes.

"For 50 years, OMRON Healthcare has worked to create and provide a blood pressure monitor to anyone who wants one. In the last six years, OMRON has transformed the global heart health market with breakthrough innovations such as HeartGuide, the first wearable blood pressure monitor; and VitalSight, our first remote patient monitoring service. We introduced these innovations at CES. This year, we are unveiling Viso, the first step in transforming how chronic care is managed in the U.K., and addressing the emerging AFib epidemic," said OMRON Healthcare President and CEO Ranndy Kellogg.

Launching in early 2023, Viso, an OMRON Healthcare remote patient monitoring service, is the first step to transforming how chronic care is managed in the U.K. Viso empowers patients to take the right actions to better manage their health while sharing data with a clinician to provide better care.

Viso is an NHS-approved app and digital health service offered by participating physicians that enables a patient to work remotely with his or her doctor to manage common long-term health conditions like high blood pressure, AFib, diabetes, and heart diseases. The service is designed to boost the standard of care even for early-diagnosed chronic conditions and to engage the patient in understanding their condition and how to manage it.

With Viso, the physician communicates medication decisions and other treatment actions in real time, directly to the patient, through the app. Viso's automated reminders and scheduled condition management actions keep the patient engaged in treatment – an essential step for chronic care management.

The physician remains in control of all remote patient care through Viso, which integrates with medical records systems Egton Medical Information Systems (EMIS) and SystmOne so that decisions taken within the platform are stored – safely and securely – in the patient record.

"Viso by OMRON is easy to use, intuitive, and provides a personalized approach with automated titration recommendations to allow for more monitoring and more data. This reduces the need for office visits and helps the patient make progress faster. Viso helps the physician focus time on those facing the highest health risks," said Paul Stevens, OMRON Healthcare Europe director of digital health.

Viso will be widely available as OMRON is partnering with forward-thinking health systems such as Dorset, NorthWest London, and Frimley, as well as primary care networks independently commissioning Viso to support patients within their local populations.

The unveiling of Viso in the U.K. follows OMRON's successful launch of its first remote patient monitoring service, VitalSight, in the U.S. two years ago.

Since launch, prestigious health systems including Mount Sinai in New York and Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, along with accomplished independent physicians across the U.S., have partnered with OMRON to offer VitalSight to their patients.

Building on 50 years of heart health equity, OMRON designed VitalSight specifically for high blood pressure management and support for those with uncontrolled Stage 2 hypertension. Physicians and patients who have used VitalSight provided feedback to OMRON that the service is boosting the patient-to-physician connection, engaging patients in treatment, and even motivating them to change their behaviors for better heart health.

"Doctors using VitalSight are telling us that the service is helping them and their patients make measurable progress on reducing heart attack and stroke risk. One patient lost fifty pounds after being enrolled in the service. Another quit smoking. Others are doing better staying on their medication and adding simple actions like walking everyday to make real strides in managing their high blood pressure," said Daniel McCaffrey, vice president of digital health and software at OMRON.

McCaffrey also noted how VitalSight is helping to bridge longstanding access to care gaps in rural areas and communities of color. "We designed VitalSight to help those most in need and added features like a data hub with cellular technology. Access to life-saving care should not be dependent on having home Wi-Fi," said McCaffrey.

VitalSight is delivered to the home of the patient with an OMRON connected blood pressure monitor and data hub that are pre-set to securely share measurements with the patient's physician and care team. The data hub integrates directly with the physician's Electronic Medical Record (EMR) or through the OMRON VitalSight Dashboard.

VitalSight sends automatic notifications through the EMR and signals when a patient has readings that indicate if action needs to be taken, which spotlights the most urgent and high-risk needs. VitalSight is available at little to no cost to the patient depending on health coverage and is reimbursable through Medicare.

"There are 116 million American adults living with high blood pressure and 37 million of them have uncontrolled Stage 2 hypertension.¹ We introduced VitalSight to help them reduce their risk," said McCaffrey. "OMRON is collaborating with leading systems around the world to tailor our remote patient monitoring services to each organization and physician practice."

Numerous reports show AFib and irregular heartbeat are a growing health epidemic. AFib increases stroke risk by five times the average and is now the cause of one-in-seven strokes.² According to experts, the AFib epidemic is growing due to the pandemic – new onset AFib is found in one-in-twenty patients hospitalized with COVID-19.³ Research shows the prevalence of AFib will continue to increase over the next decade⁴ and further exacerbate dangerous health gaps in rural areas and for communities of color. The CDC estimates that 12.1 million people in the U.S. will have AFib in 2030.⁵

"AFib continues to be difficult to diagnose and is often missed at the doctor's office because it's irregular. Millions of people around the world are living with this condition and the high stroke risk that comes with it. Research shows early detection and treatment of AFib reduces stroke risk by 68%.⁶ We want to help them identify it and work with their doctors to manage it. Addressing the AFib epidemic is essential to our Going for Zero mission," said Carol Lucarelli, OMRON's executive director of marketing and ecommerce.

According to Lucarelli, recent OMRON innovations have proven effective in identifying AFib and other irregular heartbeats. OMRON launched Complete, the first blood pressure monitor with built-in EKG, three years ago. "We designed Complete to be a difference-maker for patients with high blood pressure and to give anyone who suspects they may have irregular heartbeat a tool at home, available anytime, to check for this condition. We've heard from numerous consumers and physicians that Complete is breaking through at achieving first detection of this dangerous condition," said Lucarelli.

HeartGuide – the first wearable blood pressure monitor has also identified potential AFib. "A consumer who gave us permission to share his story, told us that shortly after he started using HeartGuide, it alerted him to the possibility of an irregular heartbeat. He shared the data with his doctor who ran tests, confirmed the finding, and adjusted his medication, which reduced his stroke risk," said Lucarelli.

OMRON executives said the company is exploring more innovations to sense and detect AFib, including ways artificial intelligence might play a role, and how the company's digital health services can coach users on symptoms to watch for that may indicate presence of the condition.

OMRON also unveiled the latest advancements in its OMRON Connect app, which 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.

At CES, company executives announced the rollout of several new OMRON Connect features this year. New education components will be available in the app for Heart Health Month in February, offering study summaries, quick read articles, infographics and recipes matched to specific insights on a user's data. "The more you use the OMRON Connect app, the better it gets to know you and how it can help you understand your condition and take action to manage it. An educated patient is more empowered to lower their risk," said Lucarelli.

OMRON Connect allows any user to designate their own "Care Team," which can be a medical professional, friend, or family member. In Spring 2023, a new feature will allow a user's designated "Care Team" to sign into the app, check one's progress, and see the vitals or milestones that a user chooses to share with them. "Community" features coming later in 2023 will allow for OMRON Connect users to connect with each other, share tips for achieving behavior change, and build support groups.

OMRON executives also previewed "Challenges" coming to OMRON Connect later this year, where the app provides goals in a set period, such as walking a short distance every day for a week or reading a series of education brief articles offered in the app. Challenges will be tied to rewards such as gift cards from online retailers for those who complete the stated goals.

OMRON Connect is now more intuitive and provides personalized insights and real-time coaching for behavior change. With the app, users can securely store their data, track it over time, and share it with a physician if they choose to do so. The app features a premium paid subscription option that gives users access to health data analytics and report cards.

For half a century, OMRON has set the standard in at-home blood pressure monitoring. The company has sold more than 300 million blood pressure monitors in more than 110 countries worldwide⁷ and is the number one doctor and pharmacist recommended blood pressure monitor brand.

OMRON monitors are recognized as the gold standard being used in more than 200 clinical studies, including prestigious studies from ACCORD,⁸ to ASCOT,⁹ to SPRINT.¹⁰ In the last five years, OMRON has redefined how blood pressure monitors look, what they do, and how they fit into our everyday lives.

Known for accuracy and trusted by health systems and physicians worldwide, OMRON has the most blood pressure monitors listed (17) of any brand on the U.S. Blood Pressure Validated Device Listing (validatebp.org),¹¹ overseen by an independent review committee that validates clinical accuracy. And OMRON is now globally recognized for its Going for Zero mission and relentless focus on achieving the best outcomes.

"As OMRON looks ahead, we are resolved to continue making strides in Going for Zero. We will be relentless in our focus to give the world's population the tools and knowledge to take control of their heart health and reduce their risk. We are also working diligently to break more new ground by advancing our research collaboration with Kyoto University to investigate how AI can accurately predict cardiovascular diseases at an early stage," said Kellogg.

To learn more about OMRON Healthcare, the company's Going for Zero mission, and its latest innovations, visit OmronHealthcare.com, and follow OMRON Healthcare on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

OMRON Healthcare, Inc., is the world's leading manufacturer and distributor of personal heart health products and an innovator in technologies supporting respiratory and pain management care. With 50 years of medical device category leadership, OMRON is passionate about empowering people to take charge of their health at home through precise technology. Its market-leading products include a full-range of home blood pressure monitors, nebulizers, and TENS devices. The company's mission is Going for Zero, the elimination of heart attacks and strokes. With well over 300 million devices sold globally, OMRON provides the world's most recommended blood pressure monitors by healthcare professionals. OMRON Healthcare has always strived to improve lives and contribute to a better society by developing innovations that help people prevent, treat, and manage their medical conditions, and we provide products and services in over 110 countries. For more information, visit OmronHealthcare.com. 

¹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, October 14). Facts about hypertension. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/facts.htm.

² Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, October 14). Atrial Fibrillation. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/atrial_fibrillation.htm.

³ American Heart Association Journal. (2022, April 27). New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19: Results From the American Heart Association COVID-19 Cardiovascular Registry. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCEP.121.010666.

⁴ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, October 14). Atrial Fibrillation. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/atrial_fibrillation.htm.

⁵ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, October 14). Atrial Fibrillation. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/atrial_fibrillation.htm.

⁶ Drugs (2012, October 27). Guidelines for Stroke Prevention in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation. Retrieved December 20, 2022 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10651387/.

⁷ OMRON Healthcare (2022, September 16). Worldwide Sales of OMRON Healthcare Blood Pressure Monitors Top 300 Million Units as Company Advances Its Going for Zero Mission. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://omronhealthcare.com/press-release/worldwide-sales-of-omron-healthcare-blood-pressure-monitors-top-300-million-units-as-company-advances-its-going-for-zero-mission/.

⁸ National Institutes of Health (2010, March 15). Landmark ACCORD Trial Finds Intensive Blood Pressure and Combination Lipid Therapies do not Reduce Combined Cardiovascular Events in Adults with Diabetes. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/landmark-accord-trial-finds-intensive-blood-pressure-combination-lipid-therapies-do-not-reduce-combined-cardiovascular-events-adults-diabetes.

⁹ American College of Cardiology (2018, August 26). Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial: Blood Pressure-Lowering Arm - ASCOT-BPLA. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/clinical-trials/2010/11/17/12/05/ascot--blood-pressure-arm.

¹⁰ American College of Cardiology (2021, May 3). Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial – SPRINT. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/clinical-trials/2015/09/23/10/40/sprint.

¹¹ Validate BP. (2022). US Blood Pressure Validated Device Listing. Validate BP. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://www.validatebp.org/.

SOURCE OMRON Healthcare, Inc.