KidsHealth & Emmi Solutions Bring Innovative Patient Education Programs to Pediatrics

Nemours Enterprise
Wednesday, May 24, 2006 @ 12:00 AM EDT

EmmiKids™ Helps Providers Reduce Risk & Increase Patient Satisfaction.

A USC study estimates that 40% to 60% of all malpractice suits allege failure to obtain proper informed consent. Emmi Solutions is partnering with KidsHealth, the most-visited website devoted to children’s health, to create EmmiKids™ ― a series of its patient-education programs for common pediatric procedures. EmmiKids is a proactive patient-education and risk-management tool that combines clinical and legal best practices in a web-based, interactive program to help families learn what to expect before, during, and after a surgical or diagnostic procedure. Emmi programs have been provided to over 140,000 patients; however, until now Emmi programs were only available for adult procedures. The KidsHealth partnership brings the Emmi technology for patient education to pediatrics.

With a conversational tone and easy-to-understand language and visuals, EmmiKids teaches families what they need to know, including risks and alternatives, so they can be educated, active participants in their child’s care. Providers issue an access code to the family of a child scheduled for a procedure that allows them to view the appropriate EmmiKids program. Families can use programs from their homes, hospitals, libraries, or anyplace that offers Web access. Programs can be watched multiple times and shared with important caregivers. Each family’s viewing activity is recorded and stored in a permanent record.

“EmmiKids is a wonderful tool that can help providers better educate and prepare families,” said Neil Izenberg, MD, chief executive of the Nemours Center for Children’s Health Media and editor-in-chief of KidsHealth.org. “Pediatric providers are committed to improving both the quality of care and education we deliver. Consistent with KidsHealth’s approach to family-friendly education, EmmiKids can powerfully enhance the informed-consent process by providing better understanding and perspective in a way that is reassuring and comforting to families.”

A survey of Emmi users for adult procedures demonstrates the effectiveness of Emmi to educate and improve patient safety and satisfaction. The survey of 20,000 Emmi users found:

• 96% said Emmi improved their understanding of what to expect
• 91% said Emmi gave them a better understanding of how to take care of themselves before and after the procedure
• 85% said Emmi covered risks that they did’’t know about previously
• 86% are more comfortable about their upcoming surgery after viewing Emmi
• 86% of patients experienced increased confidence in their doctor due to Emmi

Nemours, the parent organization of KidsHealth, which operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, and other facilities in Delaware and Florida, will be among the first providers to use EmmiKids. Other pediatric health care providers signed on include Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

“We are delighted and honored to partner with KidsHealth/Nemours,” said Jordan Dolin, CEO, Emmi Solutions.“Our mutual mission is to help physicians and families work together to make the most informed decisions possible regarding a child’s health.”

For an Emmi demo, please visit www.emmidemo.com.

modified: Monday, January 07, 2008 @ 11:18 AM EST
created: Monday, January 07, 2008 @ 11:18 AM EST

About Nemours

Nemours, one of the nation’s largest pediatric health systems, is dedicated to achieving higher standards in children’s health. Nemours offers an integrated spectrum of clinical treatment coupled with research, advocacy, and educational health and prevention services extending to all families in the communities it serves. Starting with Alfred I. duPont’s bequest over seventy years ago, Nemours has grown into a multi-dimensional organization offering personalized clinical and preventive care focused on children.

Nemours owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and major children’s specialty clinics in Delaware (Wilmington), Florida (Jacksonville, Orlando and Pensacola), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr) and New Jersey (Atlantic City and Voorhees). Having recently received preliminary approval from the State of Florida, Nemours will establish a new full-service children’s hospital as part of an integrated pediatric health campus in Orlando. KidsHealth.org, the world’s most visited pediatric health care Web site for parents, kids and teens, is a project of Nemours.

Nemours employs over 4,400 individuals, including 430 pediatric physicians, specialists and surgeons who cared for approximately a quarter of a million children in 2007. The organization’s goal is to align with parents, physicians, community leaders, children’s advocates and elected officials to ensure optimal wellness for every child. Additional information about Nemours can be found at www.nemours.org.