Virginia Mason builds on patient engagement tools

Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle is expanding an existing relationship with patient engagement software vendor Emmi Solutions, planning to use more of its services to gain more reporting capabilities.

Virginia Mason is adding Emmi’s patient reported outcomes surveys to better comply with multiple reporting requirements from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.



Emmi is best known for its patient education software, which patients access via televisions in their hospital rooms or on a computer at home. The vendor’s service provides hundreds of interactive presentations on medical conditions and related procedures. The presentations, which can be integrated into hospital information systems or patient portals, also provide informed consent documentation.

Emmi programs can be watched on any device with Internet access. People can start, stop and watch programs as often as they like and at any time, and share the videos with family or friends.

Also See: Why Wolters Kluwer paid a premium for Emmi Solutions

The addition of outcomes surveys represents a patient engagement opportunity, according to Donna Smith, MD, executive medical director for patient care services at the hospital. “We view patients and their families as equal partners as we co-design healthcare processes together, based on their feedback and needs,” Smith adds.

Data collected through the surveys are made available to providers through the electronic health record and other information systems. The platform also supports the setting of follow-up reminders, schedule changes and creation of a customized report for CMS.

Wolters Kluwer Health in November of 2016 closed a $170 million acquisition of Emmi Solutions to enhance its patient engagement product line.