Wolters Launches Alexa Emmi Care Plan to Enable Close Patient-Clinician Contact

Joana Carvalho, PhD avatar

by Joana Carvalho, PhD |

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Alexa, Emmi Care Plan

A new Alexa healthcare skill, called the Emmi Care Plan, provides a voice service that allows patients to easily remain in contact with their healthcare providers while recovering at home after being discharged from the hospital.

It’s being launched by Wolters Kluwer, Health, a global leader in providing software solutions and services to multiple industry sectors.

The Emmi Care Plan is mainly intended for use by those with chronic conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which exert a heavy toll on patients’ overall quality of life. People with COPD often require hospitalizations and face elevated healthcare costs.

Using simple voice commands, patients can easily engage with the Emmi Care Plan on any Alexa-enabled devices to perform routine health checks, set reminders, and access additional educational information. This new Alexa skill ultimately aims to empower patients to be proactive and take charge of their own healthcare monitoring while staying at home.

“The COVID pandemic forged a path to healthcare’s digital front door, accelerating the adoption of virtual care,” Jason Burum, vice president of patient engagement for clinical effectiveness at Wolters Kluwer, Health, said in a press release.

“Health systems are looking for effective ways to nurture a spectrum of quality patient encounters beyond video appointments,” Burum said.

The new Alexa healthcare skill asks basic follow-up questions to users, such as “How are you feeling today?” and “Have you used a rescue inhaler?” or “Are you taking your medications?”

By allowing patients to remain in close contact with their healthcare providers through Alexa-enabled devices, the Emmi Care Plan also enables clinicians to have access to a detailed stream of patient information they may then use to adjust their treatment plan in real-time.

“For providers, the Emmi Care Plan skill adds a new layer of interaction to stay connected to consumers using the Alexa-enabled devices that are already an integral part of their day-to-day activities,” Burum said.

So far, early feedback from Emmi Care Plan test users has been positive, with many saying the new Alexa healthcare skill “made them feel heard, cared for, and offered encouragement.” Others also have mentioned the Emmi Care Plan was “efficient and well-planned.” Some also said what they especially liked about it was “not having to speak to a human.”

The new Emmi Care Plan is part of Wolters Kluwer’s EmmiTransition solution, which comprises a series of services, including interactive phone calls and empathetic voice design, to help patients remain in close contact with their physicians after being discharged from the hospital.

Patients may access the new Alexa skill through participating healthcare providers, by using any Alexa-enabled smart speaker or device. Additional information about the Emmi Care Plan can be found here.