EmmiHealth^®

Powerful Engagement, Measurable Results.

EmmiHealth^® programs leverage the power of audio and visual learning to show consumers how to better manage a chronic condition and take appropriate actions regarding their health. Designed to enhance the outreach efforts of case and disease management programs, health organizations rely on EmmiHealth to:

• Inform patients of evidence-based guidelines so they can better understand and recognize quality care
• Improve quality scores (HEDIS, CAHPS, etc.) by closing gaps in care
• Increase the value of Personal Health Records (PHRs)
• Track and measure actions

EmmiHealth programs break down barriers to understanding by using a highly visual multimedia approach that is sensitive to low health literacy levels. The voice is intimate, the graphics are engaging and easy to understand, and the words on screen mirror the voice to reinforce the information and facilitate learning.

Patients who interact with EmmiHealth have a better understanding of their condition and how they can take action to improve their care.

Turning Data Into Action.

There is an abundance of health information available online, in print, through friends and family, and other resources. But without the right explanation, health information can leave patients wondering, “How does this apply to my situation?”

EmmiHealth improves care by speaking to patients in plain language that focuses on specific, achievable steps. The messages can be used to explain treatment options, gaps in care, or even lab results.

Best of all, the Emmi^® communication platform helps health organizations monitor the way patients respond to these messages – providing them with critical information that can be used to plan the next intervention.

Following Consumers Home.

What EmmiHealth does best is connect with patients on a personal level. Our programs acknowledge the challenges people face when they are managing a chronic disease or having difficulty changing a behavior. Through ethnographic study and other qualitative research, the EmmiHealth™ content team examines the emotional impact chronic diseases have on patients and their friends and family. Through our Emmi^® Spark Program, we invite patients “inside” the development process to bring relevance and freshness to all of our messages and interventions.

Below is a story about Amy, a real patient with asthma, whose life was impacted by EmmiHealth™.

Amy’s Story.*

Amy was diagnosed with asthma when she was five years old. She had very few symptoms when she was first diagnosed. And as she got older, Amy’s symptoms were so mild that she thought she had “outgrown” her asthma. But when Amy was pregnant with her daughter, her asthma came back and was worse than ever before. Her asthma was so severe that she was hospitalized five times during her pregnancy.

After her daughter was born, Amy’s doctor prescribed inhaled steroids. But she didn’t take them every day. She only took them when she felt bad. Amy’s asthma was not under control. She had occasional flare-ups that sent her to the emergency room. On one occasion, she went home with a doctor’s order for several days of bed rest.

Amy’s daughter was also diagnosed with asthma.

Barriers to Amy’s Self-Management

Since her diagnosis, many health beliefs prevented Amy from taking care of her asthma:

• “I thought I outgrew my asthma.”
• “I really only need to take my medication when I feel bad.”
• Reducing triggers in the home is pointless because “there’s really not much I can do.”
• “When my daughter was diagnosed, it was totally overwhelming. I didn’t really know what to do.”

Amy’s EmmiHealth Experience

Amy watched the EmmiHealth asthma program and filled out a patient survey. She said the program was “clear and easy to understand.” She also said the information about the action plans and how to use inhalers was especially useful. “I never knew why there was a spacer on my inhaler until today,” she said.

Results

As a result of using the EmmiHealth asthma program, Amy learned the correct way to use her inhaler. She also understands now that following her asthma therapy and taking an active role in her and her daughter’s health is the best way to prevent attacks. “I am going to complete an asthma action plan not only for myself, but for my daughter also,” Amy said.

*Amy is an actual patient and a participant in the Emmi Spark Program.