Best BLOOD PRESSURE MONITOR - Money Is No Object!

GOCAT9 on 13/07/2016 - 11:54

I found out that my health cover will pay for a blood pressure monitor up to $500 in cost! I think that for that money I should be able to get a Rolls Royce model!

Primary requirements are:

  1. Accuracy
  2. Can communicate with an app (IOS) to record, store and display my historic data.

Secondary requirements are (nice but no mandatory):

  1. Both battery and mains (plug pack) operated.

I read in the last issue of Choice magazine that KOGAN have a good one, but the AppStore reviews of its app are SHIT!!

Does anybody have a recommended model that I should buy, up to about $500?

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • mskeggs on 13/07/2016 - 12:06

    I had a conversation with my spouse, who is a midwife, about this the other day.
    She advises none of the electronic ones are very accurate, and they need to use manual ones to get the accuracy they need in obstetrics.
    Interestingly, she also said the old mercury ones were the most accurate, and there are still a few in use in labour wards, closely guarded as they have been due to be replaced "at end of life" for decades now, due to the potential mercury hazard if one breaks.

  • cDNA on 13/07/2016 - 12:20
    +1

    I use sphygmomanometers at home, but they were very expensive and you need to know a bit of physiology to understand how it works. A doctor will probably laugh at you if you tell them that you use a sphygmomanometer.

    A good electronic one is fine. I have done the rigorous calculations myself by analysing the signal retrieved by the cuff. The blood pressure readings are reasonably acccurate. There are a number of studies that compare manual vs device and the differences aren't that large, especially if you use a top tier machine.

    Here is a good brand and their machines:

    https://omronhealthcare.com.au/product-category/omron-blood-…

    • mskeggs on 13/07/2016 - 13:18

      Primary evidence! Thanks.

  • GOCAT9 on 13/07/2016 - 12:23

    Thanks MSkeggs for that comment. I always had a hunch that the Hg ones would be the most accurate. Now if someone could only make a mercury to digital interface!!! lololo!

  • boomramada on 13/07/2016 - 13:50

    Most accurate blood pressure monitor are the manual one, no the digital.

  • shaybisc on 13/07/2016 - 15:05

    Do they teach medical students how to use sphygmomanometers these days? The only time I ever encounter one is when I see an old doctor or nurse.

    • cDNA on 13/07/2016 - 16:12

      They teach second year science students and 1st year medical students to use them.
      I still use sphygmomanometers and I'm not an old doctor.

    • abm on 13/07/2016 - 17:02

      I know that student nurses are taught to use manual sphygmos. Every ward has a manual sphygmo and they are very useful when checking patients with very low BPs and arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation. Some auto machines just won't pick up the pulse.

      I can also confirm that mercury sphygmos are the most accurate, but I haven't seen one in years. As far as a machine for the OP any decent pharmacist should be able to recommend a good machine based on feedback from sales to customers.

  • shaybisc on 13/07/2016 - 15:23

    $500 is an idiotic amount to allocate to a blood pressure monitor. No wonder the health budget is going to send us all broke. Which brilliant health economist worked that figure out I wonder.

    An Omron 10 series is all you'll ever need but if you want to spend big how about this one?

    http://amamedicalproducts.com.au/products/omron-hem907-blood…

    A curious thing about blood pressure monitors: they all have the same accuracy spec: ±3% mmHg

    I tell a lie: that $995 rrp one above has a ±4% mmHg accuracy spec. First time I've seen one that wasn't ±3% mmHg.

    Now I'm really confused. Spend heaps on one and you get less accuracy? Or we'll only tell the truth about accuracy if you spend heaps?

    • GOCAT9 on 14/07/2016 - 10:04

      Yes, I noticed the same thing about accuracy with that HEM-907 device. Curious isn't it. More expensive, less accurate! I spoke to the distributor in Melbourne and they would not recommend it to non-doctors because the cuff requires more expertise and knowledge to use properly. Anyway it does not do Bluetooth.

  • altomic on 13/07/2016 - 16:27
    +1

    i bought one 2 years ago on Aliexpress for $15.

    it is fairly accurate - in terms of I took it in to a hospital and compared it's results with those of one of the hospitals machines. (yes, granted there maybe bias due to expectations and impacting on blood pressure/heart rate etc when testing. But lets not get into that)

    how accurate does it have to be? your blood pressure is either waaaay too high, too high, high, OK, low, too low, way too low.

    How accurate of a blood pressure monitor does a non-medical person need? what's the point? what difference does it make?

    it's like thermometers (especially baby thermometers). people want the most accurate. again your temperature is either waaaay too high, too high, high, OK, low, too low, way too low.

    the $200 thermometer is as useful for the non-medical person as a $2 thermometer

    • GOCAT9 on 14/07/2016 - 10:05

      Fair point, I guess the main thing is that it needs to be accurate enough to not place a reading in an adjacent one of those categories that you mentioned.

  • GOCAT9 on 26/07/2016 - 10:39

    Hi all,

    I ended up purchasing the OMRON HEM7280T monitor. I am so pleased with it. The Bluetooth and the associated ios app work perfectly, hot a hiccup. It is easy to use, the machine and app, has lots of memories and works for two people. Highly recommend it. Cost me $225.00

    I also bought for comparison the KOGAN one recommended by Choice magazine for $46. Ok for the money but not as nice fitting cuff and the app is total SHIT, will not pair in Bluetooth as all the app store reviews confirm. If you buy it, get it for the device only, not the app.

    • browser on 10/05/2017 - 00:37

      Hey there, I'm thinking of getting a BPM also and I was wondering why did you opt for a Bluetooth enabled device? Do you find it practically useful or more of a novelty?

      Besides the HEM7280T, I'm considering the HEM7322. A friend was saying don't get the HEM7320 (ultra premium), it comes with a fancy cuff but not as comfortable.

      So among the Omron premium line up:

      • HEM7280T - traditional soft cuff, Bluetooth enabled to hook up with app.
      • HEM7322 - traditional soft cuff
      • HEM7320 - form-fitting cuff

      It's either HEM7280T or HEM7322, in other words BT or not BT.

    • Wantone on 16/09/2017 - 00:13

      Hi @GOCAT9, i am looking at this model and was wondering can it be used as normal without the bluetooth on?
      It is for my non-technological mother, so i would like to sync it only before her Doctor visits.

      • Wantone on 19/09/2017 - 14:18

        Update: Just bought one from Chemist Warehouse and it can.

        • GOCAT9 on 20/09/2017 - 09:28
          +1

          Confirmed!! BT is not essential for it to work!

  • GOCAT9 on 10/05/2017 - 09:42

    Personally I'd go for the Bluetooth model. Get this one even if you THINK that you may find it useful sometime in the future. However any of those models would be fine. They all have the same accuracy even the very expensive professional model.

    I have no issues with the cuff on my 7280T. Remember, if you have private health insurance it will probably pay up to 90% of its cost anyway. My health insurance provider did.

    I like the Bluetooth because it lets me download the data to my PC or XL spreadsheet to do some statistics. On non-Bluetooth models all you can do is display the last 100 also data values on the screen.

    Get the 7280, you won't regret it, good luck

    • browser on 10/05/2017 - 14:12

      Thanks mate, mine is only 80%, so it will be $40 out of pocket for the BT unit or $30 for non-BT. Difference of $10 is not a big deal.

  • browser on 13/05/2017 - 20:32

    The insurance asks for a pharmaceutical tax invoice with name and address. WTH is a pharmaceutical tax invoice? Is it just a tax invoice issued by a pharmaceutical company, such as a chemist?

    • GOCAT9 on 14/05/2017 - 10:09

      Yep, that's all they need. Just ask chemist to write you one. It is just a normal receipt with their business details ect on it. It's no problem as they know this procedure. I had to do the same- was no drama! You will probably be buying it from a chemist anyway since this is where they are generally found and are cheaper than buying from the manufacturer's site.

  • browser on 26/05/2017 - 21:33

    Thanks for recommending the BT model, pretty nifty having the data available on the phone. The app is basic, but it can export to a CSV file to go to town with. :)

    • GOCAT9 on 27/05/2017 - 11:05

      Yep, thought you would be happy with it! CSV export capability opens up a whole new world doesn't it!! Good luck and may your BP always be normal.

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