Validation of the Omron M7 (HEM-780-E) oscillometric blood pressure monitoring device according to the British Hypertension Society protocol.

Background: The Omron M7 (HEM-780-E) is an automated oscillometric upper arm blood pressure monitor for the professional and home use markets. The aim of this study was to validate the accuracy of this device according to the British Hypertension Society (BHS) and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) SP10 validation criteria.

Methods: Participants were recruited until a total of 85 were obtained that filled the blood pressure ranges specified by the BHS protocol. Recruitment to the study was from the general medical and specialist clinics and from the staff at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London, UK. Nine sequential same-arm blood pressure readings were taken from each participant by two trained observers, alternating between a mercury reference sphygmomanometer and the Omron M7 (HEM-780-E). The differences between the reference and test device readings, for both systolic and diastolic pressures, were compared with BHS and AAMI criteria to determine the outcome of the study.

Results: The Omron M7 (HEM-780-E) is graded 'A' for systolic and 'A' for diastolic blood pressures according to the BHS criteria. The mean (standard deviation) of the difference between the observer and the device measurements was 0.75+/-6.5) mmHg for systolic and 1.33+/-5 mmHg for diastolic pressures. The device, therefore, also satisfies the AAMI SP10 standard for the study population, which requires differences of <+/-5 (8) mmHg.

Conclusion: The Omron M7 (HEM-780-E) achieved an 'A/A' performance classification under the BHS criteria and passed the AAMI requirements for the study population. It can be recommended for professional and home-use in this population.