Blog to Feature Expert Views on Health Literacy and Shared Decision Making Throughout October

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To mark Health Literacy Month in October, many of the nation's top health literacy experts will be blogging to share their thoughts on how health literacy impacts and influences shared decision making -- a relevant and timely topic in a new era of accountable care. This is the third consecutive year, Engaging the Patient (www.engagingthepatient.com) has marked Health Literacy Month by inviting a panel of experts to share their insights around a topic related to health literacy.

“Whether it’s a decision about starting a new medication, choosing between surgical options, or considering hospice care, the challenges patients face as they look at their options and compare them is confusing”

Low literacy and communication breakdown have been linked to poor health outcomes such as higher rates of hospitalization and less frequent use of preventative services – as patients with poor health literacy more often use services designed to treat complications of disease instead. Both of these outcomes are associated with higher healthcare costs.

“Whether it’s a decision about starting a new medication, choosing between surgical options, or considering hospice care, the challenges patients face as they look at their options and compare them is confusing,” said Geri Lynn Baumblatt, Editorial Director and health literacy expert at Emmi Solutions. “Improving health literacy helps to ensure treatment decisions are aligned with patients' goals, values, and preferences. When patients understand their options and participate in treatment decisions, they avoid care they don't value and are more committed to the treatment plan."

Engaging the Patient is a blog sponsored by Emmi Solutions that connects healthcare leaders with peers who are making patient engagement a reality. This blog is also a source for news and insight on the pressing issues of communication in healthcare. Throughout October, Engaging the Patient will feature experts including:

• Peter Ubel, MD and behavioral scientist, Professor of Marketing and Public Policy at Duke University, author: Critical Decisions
• Janice Prochaska, President & CEO of Pro-Change Behavior Systems
• Alexandra Drane, President, Eliza Corp & Co-founder of Engage With Grace
• Corey Siegel, MD, MS, Director of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
• Diane Meier, MD, Director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care at Mount Sinai School of Medicine & Vice Chair for Public Policy at the Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute,
• Steven Kussin, MD, Founder of The Shared Decision Center & author: Doctor, Your Patient Will See You Now
• Susan Dolan, RN, JD, Co-founder Executive Director of Angels Grace Hospice & author: The End of Life Advisor
• Holly Witteman, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Faculty of Medicine at Université Laval in Québec.
• Monica Williams-Murphy, MD, Emergency Physician & author: It’s OK to Die
• Dr. Matthew Wynia, Director of the Institute for Ethics at the American Medical Association and lead for development of the Communication-Climate Assessment Toolkit (C-CAT)
• Andrew Jager, MA, Research Associate at the American Medical Association and head of the C-CAT program
• David Sobel, MD, CMO & Co-founder of Emmi Solutions

To participate or sign-up, visit www.engagingthepatient.com.

About Emmi Solutions, LLC

Emmi’s proprietary interactive communication methodology delivers actionable health information to patients via multiple modalities – including computers, mobile phones and tablets – at key moments across the continuum of care. Emmi’s ability to connect with patients in language they understand at a time they are ready to learn and through the devices they already own has been demonstrated to help healthcare providers reduce costs, increase revenue and improve outcomes. The patented platform allows providers to track the delivery and consumption of information to measure the clinical and financial impact of patient engagement and meet regulatory guidelines. The web-based platform requires no installation or maintenance and can be used in stand-alone mode or fully integrated into existing systems. Learn more by visiting www.emmisolutions.com.