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Midwest Orthopaedic Network to Use Emmi, Expectation Management and Medical Information, to Educate and Prepare Patients for Surgical Procedures CHICAGO --(Business Wire)-- Nov. 9, 2004 -- More than 140 physicians within MON will use Emmi as an online patient education tool; also becomes first medical group in the nation to use Emmi to conduct patient satisfaction surveysMore than 140 physicians, representing 17 medical groups with Midwest Orthopaedic Network (MON), are now using the nation's fastest growing online patient education tool, Emmi(TM), Expectation Management and Medical Information, to help better prepare their patients for surgical procedures. Developed by Chicago-based Rightfield Solutions LLC, Emmi helps to educate patients on what to expect before, during and after medical procedures. In addition, MON will become the first organization in the nation to use the online capabilities of Emmi to conduct patient satisfaction surveys. "Our focus is on ensuring that our patients have the best experience and best outcomes possible," said Steven Mash, M.D., medical director for MON. "We believe ensuring patients are fully educated on their procedures will help not only increase patient satisfaction, but also improve outcomes, because patients that are prepared and understand what to expect from surgical procedures tend to be more compliant and to have better results." While Dr. Mash and his colleagues look forward to improving patient understanding of their surgical procedures, they also want to use Emmi's online communication capabilities to gauge patient satisfaction. "To us, it's a logical step," said Ann Bresnen, R.N., director of sales and marketing for MON. "If the patient is able to go online to view an Emmi on their surgical procedure, they are much more likely to participate in their post-operative patient survey to measure satisfaction with care." Dr. Mash and Bresnen say they will use the survey information to further improve practice procedures and gather data on quality, satisfaction and performance so they can better differentiate their practice in a competitive market, negotiate fair and appropriate contracts with payers and lower malpractice premiums. "Health plans, employers and even insurers want to work with organizations that are focused on quality, outcomes and patient satisfaction," said Dr. Mash. "Through our ability to quickly and efficiently gather information on our patients' experiences at our offices, and to provide quantifiable proof on our performance, we think we will be better able to communicate the quality and value that MON provides to our patients." While many organizations recognize that Emmi's online capabilities provide significant opportunities to gather and communicate additional information, at its core, web-based Emmi is a risk management and patient education tool created to improve outcomes and reduce malpractice claims by managing expectations and increasing patients' understanding of surgical procedures. In addition to providing Emmis on a number of orthopaedic surgeries, including total knee replacement and arthroscopy, there are also Emmis on cardiovascular, obstetrics/gynecology, plastics, colonoscopies and LASIK procedures. Many clinicians and executives within physician groups, hospitals, associations and insurers also believe that by improving education and managing expectations, Emmi can help healthcare providers avoid malpractice suits. National studies indicate that patients who understand what to expect from medical procedures are more satisfied with outcomes and are less likely to initiate malpractice lawsuits. According to internal surveys conducted by Rightfield Solutions, more than 90 percent of Emmi-educated patients were more comfortable about their surgical procedure after viewing the interactive web-based program. "Emmi's online capabilities offer the ideal solution for clients that are interested not only in educating patients, but also in ensuring they quantify their patients' satisfaction with their entire surgical experience," said Jordan Dolin, CEO of Rightfield Solutions. "We are excited about this important new capability Emmi can offer and look forward to helping our clients continue to find ways to increase patient satisfaction, while helping to improve outcomes and reduce the frequency and severity of malpractice." 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 2003, Emmi is used by more than 17,000 patients, 425 surgeons and a growing number of leading healthcare industry associations and malpractice insurance carriers. There are currently more than 25 Emmi programs available for a wide range of specialties, including obstetrics/gynecology, plastic surgery, cardiovascular surgery, orthopaedics, gastric bypass, oral surgery and LASIK. Within the year, Rightfield Solutions plans to have Emmi presentations available for more than 100 procedures. All Emmis are developed by board-certified surgeons in their respective fields. For additional information on Emmi, visit www.rightfield.net or contact Jordan Dolin at 312-236-3650, ext. 14. For an Emmi demo, please visit www.emmidemo.com. About Midwest Orthopaedic Network Midwest Orthopaedic Network is an orthopaedic specialty network of 17 medical offices owned and operated by independent physicians. The organization was incorporated in 1994 and began operation in January 1995. The network has grown to more than 120 orthopaedic physicians, and includes many recognized leaders within the field of orthopaedics. More than 95 percent of physicians are board certified, 5 percent are board eligible, and 63 percent are fellowship trained. The supportive ancillary physicians such as Rheumatologists, Physiatrists, Podiatrists and Sports Medicine specialties add broad service capabilities to the practices, bringing the total number of physicians affiliated with MON to more than 140. For additional information on MON contact Ann Bresnen at 312-906-9462 or visit www.midwestorthonet.net. |
