Hospital Patient Engagement Vendors Combine via Acquisition

GetWellNetwork, vendor of a television-based entertainment, patient education and provider communication system used in patient rooms, has acquired complementary vendor Skylight Healthcare Systems for an undisclosed sum.


GetWellNetwork, vendor of a television-based entertainment, patient education and provider communication system used in patient rooms, has acquired complementary vendor Skylight Healthcare Systems for an undisclosed sum.

Together, the companies serve about 80 health systems with more than 300 hospitals.

Both organizations have led the KLAS vendor rankings for customer satisfaction with interactive patient systems during the past five years. GetWellNetworks’ PatientLife System includes separate products for pediatric, adult and senior patients with entertainment such as television, access to email and the Internet, games and movies, condition-appropriate educational materials and communication with caregivers.

Skylight Healthcare offers a similar platform, but also has a website enabling patients to prepare for admission while still at home, and provide information to patients back at home following discharge to ensure they are aware of upcoming appointments, can view educational materials at home related to recovery, and send vital signs to physicians, says Carrie Ivers, chief strategy officer at GetWellNetwork. “It’s really a readmission preventative service.”

Also See: Open Notes Strives for Better Physician-Patient Communication

Skylight Healthcare also offers an analytics dashboard to monitor patient utilization such as which videos they watch or requests they make while in the hospital and the response rate to requests. The product also integrates to electronic health records systems.

GetWellNetwork will continue full support of current Skylight Healthcare customers for the life of their contracts, Ivers says. “We will absolutely fulfill any and all contractual obligations.”

Now, the companies will start work on combining their various capabilities into a next-generation product, with the goal that many clients will migrate to the new technology platform.

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