Omron Health incorporates new capabilities for its Alexa skill | TechTarget

Omron Healthcare added new capabilities to its blood pressure monitoring Alexa skill. With this update, Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant can provide a personalized blood pressure report, display readings on Alexa-enabled devices and share daily heart health tips.

Omron, a heart health and wellness technology provider, intends the expansion of its Alexa skill to help shape positive changes in behavior and lifestyle.

The Omron Health skill for Alexa is used by those who have an Omron connected blood pressure monitor paired to the vendor’s mobile app, Omron Connect, as well as users with a HeartGuide wearable blood pressure monitor through the HeartAdvisor app.

Omron Health app can provide a PDF blood pressure report of a user’s data for the past 31 days, which can be sent to the email address associated with their Amazon account. Including daily average readings, readings for specified date ranges and a chart categorizing blood pressure readings, the personalized reports can be shared with doctors to inform treatment decisions.

Also new in the Alexa healthcare skill is the ability to display readings on Alexa-enabled devices with screens, such as the Echo Show or Echo Spot. On the screen, Alexa can show latest or average readings, compare readings and provide details on previous readings.

For daily heart health tips, users can ask Alexa for a “Health Tip of the Day.”

Omron announced its Alexa healthcare skill in December 2018, which included the foundational abilities to locate and read users’ latest blood pressure reading, calculate their average reading over a day, week or month, and compare readings across different days and times of day.

In January, Omron launched the wearable blood pressure monitor HeartGuide and its app HeartAdvisor.

According to the CDC, one in three American adults have high blood pressure, and the costs associated with services, medications and missed work come to $46 billion. Always having an eye on blood pressure — like with Omron Health — can help users and doctors identify risks and increase awareness around diet and lifestyle habits that may contribute to high blood pressure.

All blood pressure reading categorization, comparisons and health tips provided in Omron Health are in accordance with the standards established by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.

The Omron Connect mobile app and Alexa app are free to download with the purchase of an Omron connected device or HeartGuide.