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Hospital System Noted for Strategic Excellence and Commitment to Safety Taps Emmi to Help Educate and Empower Patients

Posted on: Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 09:00 CDT

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Latest in Growing Number of Hospitals Using Emmi Technology to Improve Safety, Increase Patient Satisfaction and Reduce Risk

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), an organization renowned for its commitment to technological and quality innovations, has selected Emmi(TM), Expectation Management and Medical Information, to help its physicians better communicate with patients, increase patient satisfaction and reduce risk. Developed by Chicago-based Rightfield Solutions, LLC, Emmi is a proactive patient education and risk-management tool that combines clinical and legal best practices into a web-based, interactive strategy for healthcare providers and their patients.

A unique aspect of the Rightfield-UPMC collaboration is the participation by UPMC's captive insurance company. Finding creative ways to manage malpractice risk is critical for traditional and captive insurers as it can directly minimize the risk of financial losses due to lawsuits and keep premiums affordable. While traditionally not involved in patient education efforts, forward-thinking insurers are recognizing the critical role it can play in managing risk and increasing patient satisfaction, which translates into better outcomes, fewer lawsuits and lower costs.

Emmi is emerging as one of the more popular patient education and risk management tools for these insurers. The arrangement marks Rightfield's ongoing growth in the field of technology-based risk management tools. The company now works with more than 600 surgeons, hospitals and medical groups, as well as captive and traditional malpractice insurers nationwide.

"Developing innovative programs - whether for technology, patient satisfaction or risk management - is something we believe in strongly at UPMC," said Rick Kidwell, associate counsel and director of Risk Management for UPMC. "The Emmi program continues our tradition of seeking out excellence in all our partners and programs and will provide valuable risk management protection while also enhancing the overall patient experience."

Innovative strategies are not new to UPMC. The organization was recently named by CIO Magazine as a recipient of the 2005 CIO 100 award, an annual award program that recognizes organizations around the world that exemplify the highest level of operational and strategic excellence in information technology (IT). It is also one of the few health care providers to be named to the "America's Best Hospital Honor Roll" by U.S. News and World Report magazine.

The use of Emmi complements UPMC's commitment to quality and patient safety. Each UPMC department has developed a patient safety plan for the coming year and several have incorporated EMMI in their plans, enabling them to receive a discount on their malpractice premium allocations for using Emmi. The agreement will enable UPMC physicians at 18 hospitals -- and a network of other care sites across a 29-county service area (doctors' offices, cancer centers, outpatient treatment centers, as well as specialized imaging and surgery facilities)-- to access Emmi programs.

Emmi programs educate the patient about their medical condition, the risks and benefits of treatment, and what to expect before and after their procedure. UPMC patients can access Emmi from their homes, hospitals, physicians' offices or other remote locations through confidential access codes provided by their physicians. All Emmi programs are developed by board-certified physicians. Currently, Emmi programs are available for a wide range of surgical and medical procedures, including Orthopedic, Cardiovascular, Obstetrics/Gynecology, General Surgery, Bariatric, Plastic/Cosmetic Surgery, as well as many others.

"One of the most important things physicians can do to help patients is to ensure they have realistic expectations and to help them really understand their medical procedures," said Dennis English, M.D., vice president of medical affairs for UPMC's Magee-Women's Hospital. "This knowledge translates into more satisfied patients who will have better outcomes. We want to do anything we can to help our physicians better communicate with their patients because we know in the end, better communication helps all of us."

Recognizing the value of increasing patient understanding of medical procedures, UPMC physicians and Rightfield Solutions also developed an educational program on anesthesia. The medical center believes that by helping patients understand what to expect before, during and after anesthesia, it can help to improve outcomes and patient satisfaction. The anesthesia Emmi is the first program developed by Rightfield to address a specific medical procedure in conjunction with hospital physicians.

"UPMC recognizes that one of the best things it can do from a risk management perspective is to find ways to increase patient understanding of medical procedures," said Jordan Dolin, CEO of Rightfield Solutions. "Studies show us this knowledge translates into better outcomes, more satisfied patients and reduced exposure to risk. We are also gratified that UPMC has recognized that Emmi will help the organization maintain its position as a national healthcare leader as it represents the best new technology for patient education."

To view the Emmi and UPMC program on anesthesiology, please click on the following link: http://www.tryemmi.com/anesthesia.

About Emmi

Emmi(TM), Expectation Management and Medical Information, is a powerful risk management and patient satisfaction tool developed by Chicago-based Rightfield Solutions, LLC. Emmi combines clinical and legal best practices into a web-based, interactive tool for healthcare providers who want to manage risk by developing better relationships with patients and by increasing their satisfaction with the care provided. Introduced in 2002, Emmi has been provided to more than 65,000 patients, more than 700 surgeons and a growing number of hospitals, medical groups, leading healthcare industry associations and malpractice insurance carriers. There are currently, Emmi programs available for a wide range of surgical and medical procedures, including Orthopedic, Cardiovascular, Obstetrics/Gynecology, General Surgery, Bariatric, Plastic/Cosmetic Surgery, as well as many others. All Emmi programs are developed by board certified surgeons in their respective fields. For additional information on Emmi, visit http://www.rightfield.net, or contact Jordan Dolin at 312-236-3650, ext. 14. For an Emmi demo, please visit http://www.emmidemo.com.

About UPMC

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is the largest integrated health care and finance delivery systems in Pennsylvania and one of the leading nonprofit medical centers in the country. UPMC is a $5.8 billion, 40,000-employee organization.

UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences are mutually supportive and seamlessly interconnected to an extent that is rare among health systems and their academic components. They are linked through their shared mission to provide quality patient care, educate the next generation of health care professionals and advance biomedical research.

Source: Business Wire

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