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GetWellNetwork and KidsHealth(R) Launch New Interactive Patient Education Content for Pediatric Patients and Their Families

Posted on: Tuesday, 24 March 2009, 09:20 CDT

Specialized Videos Engage and Educate Pediatric Patients on What to Expect From Medical Procedures

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- NACHRI Creating Connections Conference, Booths #11 & 12 -- GetWellNetwork, Inc., the leading provider of Interactive Patient Care (IPC) solutions, and KidsHealth, the largest provider of online pediatric health information, today introduced two new content suites to their pediatric patient education library, specifically designed for parents, kids and teens.

Pediatric patients and their families can access these specialized videos, available in English and Spanish, at the bedside exclusively through the GetWellNetwork(R) PatientLife System(R). Content delivered through the PatientLife System can be followed by a set of accompanying comprehension questions to ensure that the patient understands the educational concepts.

The new content includes:

• Medical Testing ("What to Expect") Suite - Developed to reduce anxiety and help children better understand what to expect during common medical tests, this library features 10 videos that speak directly to children and teens. The videos cover Breathing Test (Spirometry), CAT Scan, EKG, IV, MRI, Strep Test, Upper GI, Urine Test, X-Ray and Blood Test.
• Post-Procedural Care Suite - Created to help parents understand the basics of various medical procedures, including the home care required after being discharged from the hospital, these packages cover G-Tube, NG-Tube, Tracheostomy, PICC Line and CV Line. The first two titles, G-Tube and NG-Tube, are slated to launch this spring, with the entire library available by the end of 2009.

"Staying in the hospital can be a very confusing and overwhelming experience for children and their parents," said Dr. Russell Cross, M.D., Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. "These patient-friendly educational videos will no doubt help to put them at ease and gain a better understanding of what to expect from their stay. We look forward to being able to more efficiently share and document important patient education."

"By presenting pediatric patient education in an engaging and effective way, we are hoping to involve children and their families as active participants in their own care," said Neil Izenberg, M.D., founder and editor-in-chief of KidsHealth. "The KidsHealth video libraries explain medical procedures in language that both parents and kids can understand, and help decrease the anxiety that many children experience while hospitalized," adds Izenberg.

GetWellNetwork and KidsHealth first partnered in 2008 to help hospitals engage pediatric patients and their families in their own health care process through interactive patient education content. The content is available exclusively through the GetWellNetwork PatientLife System, which uses the in-room television to deliver personalized information, education and communications tools at the bedside. As part of the partnership, KidsHealth will develop over 160 educational titles for the PatientLife System. Next in the series are the Cancer Suite and Diabetes Suite, which will be rolled out to hospitals in 2010.

"Our goal is to provide patients and their families with an unparalleled experience while enabling hospitals to improve the quality of care and meet important performance measures," said Michael O'Neil, Jr., founder and CEO of GetWellNetwork, Inc. "There has been enormous demand for educational content specifically geared to the pediatric community from both our hospital clients and patients, and we are excited to roll out these two important video suites to the community."

GetWellNetwork and KidsHealth will preview these pediatric patient education videos at the NACHRI Creating Connections Conference (Nashville, Tenn.) in booths #11 and 12.

To preview a demo, visit: http://kidshealth.org/gwn/.

About GetWellNetwork, Inc.

GetWellNetwork, Inc. is the leading provider of Interactive Patient Care (IPC) solutions. In partnership with leading hospitals and healthcare systems across the country, the company delivers innovative technology and services to drive optimal patient outcomes. Empowering patients as active participants in the healthcare process, IPC solutions are patient-centric applications delivered at the point-of-care to ensure the completion of service and quality requirements, while driving new revenue opportunities and operational efficiencies for healthcare providers. GetWellNetwork and its clients have been widely acknowledged for their IPC innovations by the healthcare community. In 2007, the GetWellNetwork solution received the exclusive endorsement of the American Hospital Association (AHA). GetWellNetwork, Inc. headquarters are in Bethesda, Maryland. For more information, please call 877.MEET.GWN or visit www.getwellnetwork.com.

About KidsHealth(R)

KidsHealth creates engaging online, print, and video media about a wide range of health and family issues. KidsHealth licenses online content and video, which can be private-labeled and displayed on a licensee's website. KidsHealth has a physician-directed, professional editorial staff -- and is the largest resource of online children's health, behavioral, and developmental information written for three distinct audiences: parents, kids, and teens. KidsHealth content is also available in Spanish. KidsHealth comes from Nemours, one of the largest nonprofit organizations devoted to children's health. For more information about KidsHealth, please visit kidshealth.org/mktg/intro/.

Contact: Pauline Louie 781.684.0770 getwellnetwork@schwartz-pr.com

SOURCE GetWellNetwork, Inc.

Source: PR Newswire

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