Intermountain’s patient education experience is getting a major update this spring that will bring new benefits to both caregivers and patients, including in-depth content presented in a variety of formats and languages, all accessible via a smarter set of digital tools.
“EmmiEducate” is being added to iCentra this spring and should be available for use by summer. The content is developed and maintained by Wolters Kluwer, an international provider of healthcare information. Physicians, advanced practice providers, and nursing staff are already using tools from Wolters Kluwer to make informed decisions about patient care. The addition of EmmiEducate will bring more consistency to patient education and help Intermountain meet the growing demand for more content while taking strain off our staff.
Improvements for patients include:
- Broader content. Approximately 9,000 leaflets and videos covering diseases and conditions, tests and procedures, medications, patient counseling, natural products, healthy living, and discharge instructions for both adult and pediatric populations will now be available.
- More languages. All content will be available in English and Spanish, and the top 550 leaflets will be available in 20 languages, including Chinese, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Russian, and Arabic.
- Expanded formats. Materials will be available in print, digital, and multimedia formats, including approximately 300 videos. (Have a look at some of the new content.)
- Up-to-date and accurate information. With a team of physician authors and editors, editorial assistants, and patient reviewers, Wolters Kluwer has the staffing and knowledge to ensure materials stay accurate, up-to-date, and adhere to best practices.
- Easy to understand materials. Materials are written in an easily understood and empathetic way, meeting national health literacy standards.
Improvements for caregivers include:
- Better user interface. You’ll find a smarter user interface in iCentra that predicts what education will be most useful to patients and learns which resources you use most often. You can quickly see available content and assign patient education with a mouse click. By the end of summer, you’ll be able to deliver education materials via Intermountain proprietary technology, including secure email and text messages as well as the MyHealth+ app.
- Reporting tools. Providers can easily see if a patient has engaged with their learning assignment and can even send reminders if they haven’t. In addition, Wolters Kluwer provides robust analytics that can help service line leaders and providers better understand the efficacy of their education content and plans.
All these changes can add up to improvements in patient outcomes and satisfaction scores, according to Wolters Kluwer. For example, patients who read assigned education materials before a colonoscopy better understood their procedure and were more relaxed when they arrived. That improved understanding can result in quicker procedures and less sedation.
What’s next? You’ll receive more information about using EmmiEducate in the coming weeks. After the new content is fully integrated in iCentra, it will be expanded to MyHealth+ so assigned education will appear alongside a patient’s personal medical information, appointments, etc. Wolters Kluwer and select Intermountain custom content will also appear on Intermountain’s internal and external websites where it will be a trusted resource for the community. In the meantime, caregivers and patients will still have access to all our former education content.
The Intermountain Patient Education team will still be available to help create limited education content and custom plans anchored in evidence-based practice. Approved content will be available in iCentra and our external/internal EmmiEducate databases. Requests for consultation and support can be placed at patiented@imail.org.