EPIC Health, Detroit’s health system committed to community-focused healthcare, and OMRON Healthcare, a global heart health leader, today announced a new collaboration to address health inequities and reduce heart attack and stroke risk in underserved Detroit communities. The program will feature VitalSight™, OMRON’s first remote patient monitoring service designed specifically for patients afflicted by high blood pressure and especially those with uncontrolled Stage 2 hypertension.
“We developed VitalSight to empower patients with the technology and tools to monitor their blood pressure from home, share their data with their doctors, and gain a greater sense of understanding about high blood pressure, how to manage it, and ways to reduce their health risk,” said OMRON Healthcare President and CEO Ranndy Kellogg. “With EPIC Health, we have a collaborative partner who shares our Going for Zero mission to eliminate heart attack and stroke and is dedicated to addressing the health inequities that often magnify health risks for patients in underserved communities.”
VitalSight is an easy-to-use remote patient monitoring service that physicians can offer to patients with high risk levels of hypertension. More than 37 million U.S. adults have uncontrolled Stage 2 hypertension that can contribute to increased risk of heart attack and stroke, which could lead to artery and organ damage if no treatment is administered.
Patients are enrolled in VitalSight by a healthcare provider. The service is available to patients at little to no cost and is reimbursable through Medicare.
Patients who are enrolled in the program by EPIC Health physicians receive the VitalSight kit delivered to their home. The kit includes an OMRON connected blood pressure monitor, a weight scale (if requested by the clinician), and a data hub that are all pre-set for the specific patient. With VitalSight, EPIC Health clinicians can personalize blood pressure reading thresholds for each patient and receive alerts for out-of-range readings so care teams can take action and make more informed treatment decisions.
“The VitalSight data hub is a key asset because it works without home Wi-Fi. Our patients can monitor their blood pressure easily from home and securely share readings with their care teams,” said Dr. Greg Naman, MD, Board-Certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, EPIC Health. “VitalSight connects us more with the patient and helps us spotlight key data. As a medical professional working to bridge health gaps, it’s a boost to have a service that makes data actionable – the patient is more engaged in managing their condition and the care team has more insights to evolve treatment.”
“EPIC Health remains diligent in its efforts to increase and improve dialogue between patients and physicians, address growing populations impacted by hypertension and stroke, and increase health access for all,” said Dr. Naman. “OMRON’s Going for Zero mission and innovative technology makes them an excellent partner in this program.”