Before you begin
Access requires the following:
- Your Northwestern University email address or NetID
- Your Northwestern University NetID password
- DUO Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) registration with Northwestern University’s tenant. Currently, DUO Desktop is not required.
- Provisioned permission to eMerg. Site directors and coordinators can request permissions for new faculty and first-time users.
Please note: You must use your @northwestern.edu email address. Using a different Northwestern Medicine email such as @nm.org, @sralab.org, or @luriechildrens.org will not allow access to eMerg or assessment forms.
How to access assessment forms on eMerg
There are two ways to access assessment forms on eMerg.
- Navigate directly to your To Do List on eMerg (recommended)
One of the most reliable ways to find assessments assigned to you is to log in directly to eMerg and click on your To Do List. Your To Do List contains all the assessments assigned to you. To do this, simply open a new private/incognito browser window, type in the following URL: emerg.fsm.northwestern.edu, and follow the login prompts. See detailed login steps
- Click an assessment form link emailed to you
Clicking an assessment form link emailed to you will take you directly to that specific form. While it can be convenient, it can also introduce errors if you are already logged in to any other system or account that also uses Microsoft products for authentication. If you would like to go directly to an assessment form instead of your To Do List, Feinberg IT recommends opening a new incognito/private browser window, copying and pasting the link from your email into that window, and following the login prompts. See detailed login steps
Please note: Feinberg IT recommends using a new private/incognito browser window because many organizations, including Northwestern University and its affiliates, use Microsoft products to provide a secure login process. Browsers securely store (cache) login session information for user convenience. However, this can prevent logging into different systems such as NM Email and eMerg simultaneously in the same browser.
Common issues and questions
I don’t know my @northwestern.edu email address
I don’t know my password
How do I know if I’m registered with Northwestern University’s DUO MFA tenant
How do I register to use Northwestern University’s DUO MFA tenant
Do I need DUO Desktop installed
I’m getting a DUO error when I try to login
I got a new phone, but now don’t get the DUO push notification
Can I access assessment forms from a computer shared by multiple clinicians
I see an Incorrect Account message after I login
How to open a private/incognito window
I opened a private browser and logged in, but when I click the link in my email, I get an Incorrect Account message
How to access assessment forms on eMerg using a private/incognito browser window
How do I request more help
I don’t know my @northwestern.edu email address
If you don’t know your Northwestern University email address, but you know your NetID, you can use the following email address to login: YourNetID@ads.northwestern.edu. Be sure to include the “ads” right after the “@” symbol when using this login format. For example, if your NetID is abc123 you would use abc123@ads.northwestern.edu to login.
If you don’t know your Northwestern email address OR your NetID, please let your coordinator know to ask the FSM Application Support Team for the information.
I don’t know my password
The password for your @northwestern.edu email is the same as your NetID password. If you forgot or need to reset your password, visit www.northwestern.edu/login and click on “Forgot Password?”
How do I know if I’m registered with Northwestern University’s DUO MFA tenant
If you already use DUO MFA to login to Northwestern University systems such as myHR or OME, you are already registered and no action is needed. You can also open the DUO Mobile App on your phone and verify that you see the Northwestern University Account as shown below.

If you have never used DUO MFA to login to any Northwestern University systems, you will need to contact NUIT to register.
Please note: DUO used with non-Northwestern University systems such as Epic does not work. You must be registered in Northwestern University’s tenant. Visit this webpage to begin the process.
How do I register with Northwestern University’s DUO MFA tenant
You will need to work with the Northwestern University IT department to verify your identity. Visit this webpage to begin the process. Once your identity is verified, you will be given instructions on using a device such as a mobile phone to verify each login attempt using DUO MFA.
Do I need DUO Desktop installed
No. Accessing assessment forms on eMerg does not require DUO Desktop.
I’m getting a DUO error when I try to login
You are most likely not registered with Northwestern University’s DUO tenant. You will need to work with the Northwestern University IT department to verify your identity on order to be registered. Visit this webpage to begin the process. Once your identity is verified, you will be given instructions on using/adding a device such as a mobile phone to verify each login attempt using DUO MFA.
I got a new phone, but now I don’t get the DUO push notification
You will need to have the new phone re-registered to the Northwestern University’s DUO tenant. You will need to work with the Northwestern University IT department to verify your identity on order to be re-registered. Visit this webpage to begin the process. Once your identity is verified, you will receive a text message with instructions for adding the Northwestern Account to the DUO Mobile app on your new phone.
Can I access assessment forms from a computer shared by multiple clinicians
Yes. Accessing assessment forms on these devices is possible when using a new private/incognito browser session. Feinberg IT strongly recommends logging out of all sessions and closing all browsers when finished using a shared computer.
I see an Incorrect Account message after I login
This is most likely due to a cached login session using an account that does not have access, e.g. an NM.org account. Feinberg IT recommends using a new private/incognito browser window because many organizations, including Northwestern University and its affiliates, use Microsoft products to provide a secure login process. Browsers securely store (cache) login session information for user convenience. However, this can prevent logging into different systems such as NM Email and eMerg simultaneously in the same browser. Follow these steps for logging in with a new private/incognito browser window.
I opened a private browser and logged in, but when I click the CPA Form link in my email, I get an Access Error message or still can’t see the CPA Form
Clicking an assessment form link emailed to you will take you directly to that specific form in your default browser window. Clicked links typically do not open in a new private/incognito browser window you have opened. To resolve this, follow these steps:
- Copy the link from your email (do not click it)
- Navigate to the private/incognito browser window you used to successfully login to eMerg
- Paste the link into the address bar and press enter
How to open a private/incognito window
Google Chrome
- Open Chrome.
- Select the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner.
- Select New Incognito window.
*Keyboard Shortcut: Windows: Ctrl + Shift + N; Mac: Command + Shift + N.
Microsoft Edge
- Open Edge.
- Select the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner.
- Select New InPrivate window.
*Keyboard Shortcut: Windows: Ctrl + Shift + N; Mac: Command + Shift + N.
Mozilla Firefox
- Open Firefox.
- Select the menu button in the upper-right corner.
- Select New private window.
*Keyboard Shortcut: Windows: Ctrl + Shift + P; Mac: Command + Shift + P.
Apple Safari
- Open Safari on a Mac.
- From the menu bar, select File.
- Select New Private Window.
*Keyboard Shortcut: Mac: Command + Shift + N.
For a more thorough walkthrough of opening private windows, visit this support article and expand the section that corresponds to your operating system.
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Detailed Steps: How to access assessment forms on eMerg
There are two ways to access assessment forms on eMerg.
Please note: Feinberg IT recommends using a new private/incognito browser window because many organizations, including Northwestern University and its affiliates, use Microsoft products to provide a secure login process. Browsers securely store (cache) login session information for user convenience. However, this can prevent logging into different systems such as NM Email and eMerg simultaneously in the same browser.
Method One: Using your To Do list (recommended)
- Close any open private/incognito tabs or windows.
- Open a new private/incognito browser window. Not using a new private/incognito window could result in an error. Please note: Do not use this new private/incognito tab to login to other non-Northwestern University systems (e.g., NM email) as this may result in an error accessing assessment forms.
- In the private/incognito window, type in emerg.fsm.northwestern.edu and click enter.
- Enter your @northwestern.edu or @ads.northwestern.edu email address, then click Next.
Please note: If you are prompted to “Pick an account” choose your @northwestern.edu or @ads.northwestern.edu account. If you do not see one, select “Use another account” then enter your @northwestern.edu or @ads.northwestern.edu email.
- Enter your Northwestern University password (this is the same password as your NetID password), then click Sign in.
- If prompted to grant permissions to eMerg, click Accept.
- Follow the prompts to verify using DUO MFA.
Method Two: Using a CPA form link emailed to you
- Close any open private/incognito tabs or windows.
- Open a new private/incognito browser window. Not using a new private/incognito window could result in an error.
Please note: Do not use this new private/incognito tab to login to other non-Northwestern University systems (e.g., NM email) as this may result in an error accessing assessment forms.
- Navigate to your email and copy the assessment form link.
Please note: Do not click the link because it will likely not open in the new private/incognito browser window you opened.
- Navigate to the private/incognito window from step 2, paste the assessment form link into the address bar then press enter
- Enter your @northwestern.edu or @ads.northwestern.edu email address, then click Next.
Please note: If you are prompted to “Pick an account” choose your @northwestern.edu or @ads.northwestern.edu account. If you do not see one, select “Use another account” then enter your @northwestern.edu or @ads.northwestern.edu email.
- Enter your Northwestern University password (this is the same password as your NetID password), then click Sign in.
- If prompted to grant permissions to eMerg, click Accept.
- Follow the prompts to verify using DUO MFA.
See common issues
Additional Support
If you are unable to login after following these steps, please complete this Support Request Form for additional support.