For millions of people living with migraine, getting the proper diagnosis can take years, sometimes even decades. A new digital tool developed by a team at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria (UICOMP) and OSF HealthCare aims to change that by helping primary care and other first-contact healthcare providers to identify patients with migraine quickly and accurately.

Hrachya Nersesyan ​MD, PhD, a headache neurologist and the director of the headache clinic at the OSF Illinois Neurological Institute (INI) in Peoria, Illinois and co-developer of the MIGRO (migraine referral optimization) application says primary care providers might frequently experience time constraints to accurately diagnose migraine.

“Well, they have to deal with 55 different problems, all at the same time, and the time constraint is a significant barrier in properly obtaining the history of the headache to be able to correctly and accurately diagnose, not just migraine, but also its sub-types, and decide what to do about that.”

Unlike conditions that can be confirmed with blood tests or imaging, migraine is diagnosed based on presenting symptoms and patient history. That makes accuracy of diagnosis highly dependent on the provider’s time and expertise.

Migraine is one of the most frequent and most disabling types of primary headaches, and what is often misunderstood about migraine is that it is a disorder of the central nervous system. So, it is not just a bad headache but frequently presents with many other symptoms, such as sensitivity to light and sound, nausea and vomiting, disturbances of mood and emotions, and so on. And these disturbances – sometimes called most bothersome symptoms (MBS) – also can happen outside of the actual headache attacks, causing significant discomfort and even prolonged periods of disability to migraine sufferers. Therefore, timely diagnosis and subsequent proper treatment of migraine as a disorder rather than a symptom is important.

In an analysis of randomly selected 150 patients referred to the headache program at OSF ,in 2022, researchers found that primary care providers correctly identified migraine types only about half the time and did not  correctly define the migraine subtypes in most cases due to incomplete information and lack of documentation on the quality and behavioral patterns of reported headaches.

“Some of them, it took five, eight, even 10 years to even being diagnosed and receiving the treatment. We had a couple of patients that mentioned their headaches over 20 years ago and just 20 years later (they) were able to be finally diagnosed with the proper type (of migraine) and be introduced to treatment.”

To address that care gap, the research team created an app called MIGRO, built around a decision-tree algorithm based on the current International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3). The app guides patients through a series of self-directed questions about their symptoms, headache quality and the patterns of headache behavior. Within minutes, it generates a summary of suspected headache diagnosis for the provider to review.

It simply walks the patient and provider through the key points needed to determine whether a headache is migraine, what type of migraine it might be, or if it’s something else entirely. Most people can complete the assessment in less than five minutes.

Through incorporated safeguards the app also helps to flag potentially dangerous conditions with headache as a symptom that might require immediate attention and reliably diagnoses medication overuse headaches, a significant cause of a headache changing from occasional to chronic.

After early development and more testing at INI with more than 300 patients, the app outperformed referring providers in diagnostic accuracy of the headache type across the board, especially in detecting migraine subtypes and medication overuse headache. In cases of medication overuse headache, the app identified the condition in 65% of patients, compared to 0% recognition by referring clinicians.

Time to validate

Now entering phase two, the team plans to validate the tool in primary care settings across the OSF HealthCare Ministry, including at several rural sites where access to specialists is limited. Dr. Nersesyan explains the app will also help primary care providers in those settings to know if a patient can be managed locally or absolutely needs to be referred to a headache specialist.

“Because a majority of the migraineurs can be managed with very simple medications and interventions as long as they have the right diagnosis and the right treatment and they don’t necessarily need to see a headache neurologist or any other headache specialist.  they can be very well managed by primary care providers.”

This study is supported by a Community Health Advocacy (CHA) grant through OSF and the University of Illinois Chicago. The digital development work is supported by the OSF Digital Innovation Development and Medical Visualization teams, which created the coding and are now refining the app’s language and design for broader public use. The goal is to make the patient questionnaire portion of the application easy to comprehend for every user, regardless of their educational background, and seamlessly integrate this tool into routine clinical workflows.

People with migraine also might frequently hesitate to seek early medical care due to variety of reasons, including social stigma associated with this disorder. The app creators believe that MIGRO can help primary care providers make timely and accurate migraine diagnosis., dramatically shortening the time to implementing an effective treatment. They also believe it could help these patients to overcome societal prejudice about headaches.

“It allows and gives the ability to providers, in a fairly short period of time to hit all the key question marks and points that one needs to come to the diagnosis of migraine or to say, ‘Well this headache is not a migraine,’ or to define between different types of migraine that exists out there.”

The research team expects to begin primary care testing by the end of 2025, with plans to expand the app for general public use once validation of diagnostic accuracy in primary care setting is completed.

Dr. Hrachya Nersesyan 

B-roll of MIGRO app

A potentially life-saving pilot program is launching in Bloomington, Illinois to detect a little-known but surprisingly common genetic condition that can dramatically raise cholesterol levels—and the risk of heart attacks and strokes—even in children.

It’s called familial hypercholesterolemia, or FH. It’s estimated that 1 in 200 Americans has the genetic disorder where the body can’t effectively clear LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol from the blood.

Darrel Gumm, MD, vice president of OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute says the pilot will identify people who, due to their genetics, might not know they are at risk.

“It’s estimated about 1.3 million people in the United States have it [FH] and 90% of those patients don’t know they have it, Dr. Gumm stresses. “So, it’s a tremendous opportunity for us to step in and find those patients, identify those patients and provide therapies that may prevent terrible things from happening down the road.” 

OSF HealthCare and OSF Innovation are using artificial intelligence (AI) to conduct a pilot program for detecting and treating FH. To identify high-risk patients for this pilot, the Digital Innovation Development team used a two-step approach. First, an algorithm flagged patients over the past 18 months who had concerning cholesterol levels. Then, they applied an AI tool to scanned physician notes to detect clues—such as yellowing of the eyes or hardening of the Achilles tendon—signs a doctor may have observed but not flagged as FH-related.

People inherit FH from one or both parents, and it puts them at risk for cardiovascular events far earlier in life than normal, sometimes even in childhood.

Two Types of FH

According to Dr. Gumm, there are two kinds of FH:

• Heterozygous FH, inherited from one parent, which can lead to early heart attacks or strokes—before age 65 in women and 55 in men.
• Homozygous FH, a rarer and more severe form inherited from both parents, which can lead to strokes and heart disease in teenagers or even young children.

While most people begin cholesterol screenings around age 40, those with FH can silently develop sky-high levels from a young age.

"They can be a very healthy person, think they’re doing great, be a marathon runner and really they could have astronomically high cholesterol that’s not of their fault,” explains Ryan Loudermilk, a strategic program manager in Performance Improvement at OSF Innovation.

The new screening program was launched in Bloomington, starting with support from a strong primary care network involving 9 providers including Richard Ginetti, MD, who is a champion for the effort. It started with 200 patients found to potentially have FH. If testing confirms the diagnosis, individuals will be offered treatment, typically statins, which can reduce cardiovascular risk by up to 80%.

Dr. Gumm says every time someone is identified with FH, outreach will occur to encourage screening for parents, siblings, and children.

“One of the things I love to tell my patients is the best way to treat a heart attack is not have one. Same thing with a stroke. So, even if they’ve had a heart attack and survived it, now we’re going to be aggressive at not letting the second one occur. But here’s a chance to never let it occur in the first place. It’s primary prevention … really fantastic.” 

Education in a Short-Attention-Span World

Understanding FH—and the importance of early detection—isn’t easy in a world flooded with information. That’s why the pilot program teamed with OSF Innovation’s Medical Visualization team, to create for people identified at possible risk, mobile-friendly education designed to meet people where they are.

Loudermilk emphasizes it’s not just a brochure. The visuals use a unique, semi-animated shimmer effect that adds emotional weight without overwhelming the viewer.

“It’s something that can be easily read on their cell phone; they don’t have to log onto a computer. It’s something that’s eye-catching, something that’s straight to the point – what your risks are, why it’s important for you to get tested and checked … thinking about family members, so it speaks to that. It speaks to the ease of this. That’s the other big piece of this.” 

A Simple Test with a Big Impact

The testing process is easy. It’s just a cheek swab with no needles or blood draw. It takes a couple minutes.

The pilot is tracking how many people go on to be screened after the initial outreach with a goal of at least 30%. The initiative will follow not just how many patients test positive, but how many then go on to get family members tested, the true measure of ripple effect success. Additionally, the pilot includes having the Medical Visualization team provide insights about which content drove the most engagement.

The FH pilot is part of a broader effort at OSF HealthCare to advance care through personalized medicine that is specific to a person’s genetic make-up. Loudermilk sees a time in the future where genetic testing will be even easier.

“Where I could see this going – a patient doesn’t even have to come in. These kits could actually be mailed to them, to their house and they could do the check swab themself and get it mailed in. So, those who don’t want to deal with making an appointment and seeing their provider in person, they could do a virtual visit and have the kit sent to them. That’s the future of all of this.” 

If you receive primary care in Bloomington, talk to your provider if you think you would like to be screened for familial hypercholesterolemia.

Dr. Darrel Gumm

Ryan Loudermilk

B-roll-Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH)

It is also the site of a newly placed telehealth kiosk as part of a continuing grant-funded project through the Community Health Advocacy (CHA) program, a partnership with OSF HealthCare and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). The kiosks integrate an iPad with a user-friendly display, which is operated through a touchscreen interface.

The newest version expands an effort that began a couple of years ago. It includes features and functions based on input from OSF HealthCare Faith Community Nurses who provide street medicine to unhoused and vulnerable populations. For example, the kiosks and embedded tablets will use cellular technology, which is important because some areas in vulnerable communities don’t have reliable Wi-Fi.

Scott Barrows, MA, director of OSF Innovation Design Lab at Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center in Peoria, says he worked with other OSF Innovation teams including engineering, medical visualization and OSF OnCall to come up with the best design and user-friendly navigation and apps for the kiosks.

“Right now, we have two basic languages – English and Spanish – on the opening page and then other languages in the findhelp portion but it has to be super easy to use. And, that’s another thing we’ll look at.” Barrows explains, “We’ll see how many times does someone have to tap the screen and get to where they want to go? Are they happy with it?” 

Findhelp is an application that provides a directory of community-based resources within a pre-selected geographic area. Users can type in a ZIP code and then select what they need. Some of the options address social drivers of health, such as food, housing, work, money, transportation and education. These are things outside of direct medical care that significantly impact a person’s health.

Mary Stapel, MD, lead physician of Community Care at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, says current community needs assessments show housing, substance abuse and mental health treatment among the biggest needs. But Stapel says the findhelp app will collect data that could help provide concrete, up-to-date information about what services are most in demand.

Data could drive future services

“I don’t know that we yet fully understand all of the maybe unmet needs that are still apparent for the population that are served here. So again, I think this will help us understand by seeing what people are utilizing on the kiosk.” 

Sommerville agrees data collection will help as social service advocates apply for additional grants and government services to improve community health and well-being.

“It could lead to a shift in the community. I always say some programs are created from individuals who feel as though they know what the community needs. This would be the community telling us exactly what they need and now it’s on us to create something specifically for them.”

Sommerville is also looking forward to having the findhelp app as a resource for him to tap when someone reaches out looking for help.

“It’ll be nice to be able to say, ‘Hey the Dream Center provides this, or hey CASA provides this, or The Center for Prevention and Abuse provides X’ and to know what I’m talking about when I’m saying it. That’s the part that I appreciate because in the past, it’s always been a phone call or reference of some sort.” 

In Peoria, the kiosks will also be located at the Dream Center, the Jolt Foundation and the Peoria City-County Health Department. Barrows says staff at each location will be trained to direct visitors to the kiosks and to help them with navigation if they have issues. However, he says the kiosks should be so user-friendly that they could be used independently. Barrows says research for the next six months to a year will include user feedback.

“We’ll do focus groups. We’ll meet with people one-on-one if they prefer or in small group settings but that is critical in user design. The emphasis is on the people that use it and the resources.” 

The same will be occurring in the Chicagoland area where many unhoused Chicagoans also suffer from chronic medical and behavioral health conditions that can make them vulnerable to premature mortality. Under the CHA grant program, kiosks will be located at the Revive Center and Hope’s Table as well as in the outpatient pharmacy at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Faria Munir, PharmD, MS, BCPS is clinical assistant professor of the drug information group at the UIC Retzker College of Pharmacy and is co-lead investigator for the research. She says the secure kiosks will not collect identifying information from users. However, users will be asked if they are willing to fill out follow-up surveys that will include important questions that will inform the second phase of this pilot.

“Like how they're paying for medications. What kind of assistance they need in terms of their health? What kind of are their biggest barriers and receiving both health care and both prescription and OTC (over-the-counter) medications? What kind of concerns do they have about their health? And a lot of questions that are focused on their attitudes toward telehealth. 

Down the road, Munir would like to see more health care providers engaged in designing resources that could be available through the kiosks, including potential telehealth visits. But she knows that effort would require bridging a lot of hurdles including protecting user privacy.

In the next phase of the research, Munir does envision expanding the health kiosk locations to more community pharmacies and emergency department waiting rooms. In the meantime, by providing access to information about preventive care, disease management and available quality health care and community resources, researchers from OSF and UIC believe the kiosks can improve individual and community health.

Scott Barrows

Mary Stapel and Faria Munir

Marcellus Sommerville

Kiosks B-roll

Melissa Knuth (pronounced kuh-NOOTH) predicts a year from now, many Mission Partners (employees) at OSF HealthCare and elsewhere will be asking how they did their job without using generative artificial intelligence. Generative AI is a type of machine learning that uses artificial intelligence to create new content, including text, images, videos, code and simulations based on existing information.

OSF HealthCare, a 16-hospital system headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, has a vision that includes harnessing the power of generative AI to advance the exploration, use and adoption to optimize health care delivery, empower health care professionals and improve patient experiences across the health care system.

Knuth led a multidisciplinary team tasked with creating mandatory, on-going education to help more than 24,000 Mission Partners (employees) – from the CEO to cafeteria workers – learn about generative AI and how OSF HealthCare sees the benefits of using it. The education initiative is in place because Knuth and leaders believe that to take advantage of generative AI, everyone must understand how it works and the best practices for deploying it.

“Unless we really have the power of our entire workforce, pushing on the same side of the rock, it will be even more difficult to reap the benefits this technology presents and so it's really critical that everybody understands generative AI and the rewards we are seeking,” Knuth stresses.

Education is also designed to dispel fears the technology could replace employees.

“We’re really trying to put their minds at ease to let them know that we're trying to use generative AI here in a way that really enables them and allows them to get back to some of the work that is more meaningful for them.”

With only six weeks to create the first lessons, Knuth tapped the Medical Visualization team at OSF Innovation to take their approach from social media content and use generative AI to create education about the technology.

“We also used mixed media, so it was a mix of video. Some interactive content, and text to continually sort of change through the course to keep somebody's attention. So, it was like small vignettes of content that we had created for them.”

Mitigating risks from generative AI

OSF HealthCare was one of several organizations last year to sign the president’s voluntary commitments to keeping AI safe, secure and trustworthy. Oversight of research and implementation starts at the top and includes C-suite leaders at OSF, but all levels of leadership are engaged including those from legal, compliance, ethics, policy, process, clinical and non-clinical areas.

Tyler Fitch, MD, director of Medical Informatics co-chairs the OSF generative AI exploration and planning committee. Dr. Fitch says any new use of AI or generative AI will be evaluated using an approach known as FAVES or evaluating whether the technology is fair, appropriate, valid, effective and safe.

“We wanted to ensure that we're applying all those FAVES to anything that we would release and endorse from OSF. So, thinking of things as (for example) fair. We want to make sure that it treats different groups of people similarly and that it doesn't advantage or disadvantage, certain groups.”

The governance structure at OSF HealthCare ensures the appropriate use of AI. It helps clinicians use the right tool at the right time. This process involves validating results through testing to meet researchers' expectations. The goal is to ensure that AI effectively generates better outcomes and experiences.

Lastly, the technology also must be secure, so it doesn’t open the health system to cyber security risks.

Transparency with patients will be important for building trust with how OSF is using generative AI.

OSF is part of a pilot project with Epic, the medical records system, that will test the use of Nuance DAX Copilot which can use ambient listening to help medical providers communicate better with patients during their exams.  Instead of being distracted with the task of writing the note while talking to their patient, the provider will have a completed note at the end of the visit.  A few medical group offices are part of the trial.

An easy sell

Dr. Fitch says it has been an easy sell getting providers to embrace technology that should make their jobs easier.

“I'm also hearing from our physician recruiting department that we're getting asked about what kind of tools we have here. So, this is really an area that people are seeking out and they want and so from a physician standpoint, the change management is going to be a little bit easier than some of the some of the other things we’ve done in the technology area.”

Microsoft Copilot will be built into tools already used daily by OSF HealthCare Mission Partners. Knuth says it will include an app, called Prompt Buddy, developed internally, which will allow employees to share the best prompts to help them simplify work.

“We’ve developed internally a crowd sourcing app so when somebody has written a prompt, or discovered a prompt they have really found beneficial, they can share that.”

Dr. Fitch believes OSF HealthCare is among leaders in developing governance and education and is farther ahead than many health systems trying to navigate the benefits and develop guardrails at this inflection point for generative AI. Strong partnerships with academic institutions and technology companies will also aid in creating learning opportunities to test the benefits and pitfalls while always keeping patients at the center of every effort.

Knuth is preparing more education for OSF Mission Partners to address generative AI which she says has created a transformative moment in business and health care.

Video clips with Melissa Knuth

Video clips with Dr. Tyler Fitch

Answer a few questions on a social media quiz and it’ll tell you which character on Friends you’re most like. That’s the same concept behind a new healthcareers.guide developed by OSF Innovation and the Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC).

The health careers guide is aimed at creating awareness and helping middle and high school learners understand the types of skills, length and cost of education, and potential earnings for a chosen health-related career. Noël Adams, vice president for academic collaborations and operations at OSF HealthCare says the easy-to-use guide allows young people to explore careers on their own or filter according to a few questions about their personality.

“They can also go in and answer a few questions that relate to their personality like, ‘How do you feel about blood?’ or ‘Are you introverted or extroverted?’ Adams continues, “Then, we map those types of skills to the different health care careers. So, after they answer those, it’ll return a whole list of types of careers that would fit those particular personality types.”

The guide can be accessed easily according to Adams.

“It’s mobile friendly so that can do that through a phone, or they can do it through their Chromebooks at school. We really tried to make the content school-friendly so that schools can help promote this version of learning and what these different types of careers are through their own curriculum.”

Adams says despite a nation-wide shortage of critical health professionals such as physicians and nurses, there is not easily accessible educational content to reach young people, particularly in underserved communities where those professions are needed the most.

OSF HealthCare, through its Innovation division, has developed free STEAM programming focused on health careers and the National Center for Rural Health Professions (NCRHP) at UIC has led innovations in health career pipeline programming to address the significant disparities in underserved areas. The Center has established programs in rural and urban underserved high schools, community colleges and four-year universities throughout the state of Illinois.

App is unlike any available

“This is a really innovative approach in reaching today’s generation of learners who often access information online and in interactive ways,” said Hana Hinkle, Hana Hinkle, PhD, MPH, UIC’s assistant dean for Rural Health Professions. She continued, “We aren’t aware of any other program available in the country that leverages this this type of platform and algorithm and we are very grateful for the partnership with OSF Innovation and through the CHA programming to make this idea a reality that so many students will benefit from.”

The health careers guide was created with support from a Community Health Advocacy (CHA) grant, a partnership between OSF HealthCare and UIC that brings together faculty researchers and health care professionals to develop innovative solutions to health-related problems in urban communities.

Adams says the guide is unique – unlike what is available at most schools or career centers. It uses technology developed by the OSF Innovation Medical Visualization team and content from an existing, extensive guidebook used regularly to support additional education through the Rural Health Professions Center at UIC.

The platform allows the user to drill down into jobs to learn far more than what’s available from a typical brochure.

Adams explains, “It helps youth understand what a job is all about, how it works, and then gives lots of detailed information like how much school you need, how much you might get paid, how long it takes to train, and then helps find job openings on different websites.”

Throughout development of the health careers website and app, researchers had students attending career events, beta test the app and provide feedback for improvements. Adams says not many tweaks were needed.

“We received many positive comments from youth test groups about how we've used pictures to explain information related to careers instead of having too much text in the application,” Adams says.

Researchers have sought CHA grant funding for phase two which would focus on adding more careers to the app and tapping into existing regional networks to provide direct mentorship, coaching and support to identified students.

Video clips with  Noël Adams

B-roll of health career guide

November 8 is National STEAM Day – a day that inspires kids to explore and pursue their interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. But OSF HealthCare is making a point to celebrate and promote OSF STEAM learning throughout the month of November.

Noël Adams, vice president, Academic Collaborations and operations, OSF Innovation Labs at OSF HealthCare says the STEAM lab will mark National Steam Day by kicking off the first of a series of augmented reality (AR) lessons for its Anatomy Academy.

Adams explains students can access a free lesson by registering on the OSF STEAM website and they’ll receive a series of QR codes to scan with their mobile phone or tablet to trigger digital images via augmented reality that can put a trainer in the child's hand.

“As we go through and we teach different modalities or different trainers or different human anatomy, we can change whatever it is that child is holding just through the QR code. And so, it really equalizes our ability to, not only teach remotely because we can put a trainer in any kid's hand anywhere, but also there's no cost barrier in our training.”

This live course on systems of the body will run once a month for the next year. The curriculum was developed by OSF Innovation engineers and faculty at the University of Illinois for
6^th-12^th grades. Adams thinks it could be a great option for home schooled kids whose parents might not be experts in anatomy.

“There's not a lot out there for homeschool kids as far as health care curriculum and STEAM so we did make a strategic effort to create something that's very welcoming to them. So, these courses actually run during the day when they would have traditional schooling and again on-demand if they want to do their schooling at night.”

A recorded version of the live lesson will also be available on the OSF STEAM website.

Throughout November, OSF HealthCare will be hosting school children at Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center in Peoria where they can learn about careers such as medical visualization and bioengineering. Innovation engineers will also be traveling to schools. For example, in Pontiac, Illinois, students will get a DIY lesson detailing how to make their own anatomage table for less than $50. The device uses advanced 3D anatomy visualization to teach lessons about the body.

The engineers will also mark National STEAM Day by leading hands-on STEAM activities for hospitalized kids and their siblings at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois. Throughout the year, OSF provides free bedside STEAM programs so children can stay engaged in learning while they’re out of school due to their illness.

The range of OSF STEAM programs cover grade school through college  and include simple, free online activities and at-home courses that come with activity kits. There are mini-med classes for college-age students to explore various aspects of medicine plus internships that focus on creating STEAM activities.

Community Partnerships

OSF is bringing STEAM education to as many young people as possible, particularly those who are under-represented in fields related to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math, including women and people of color. According to the National Science Foundation (PDF) and the National Academies, women and certain ethnic groups –Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians – are considered underrepresented in STEAM.

Community partnerships are an important way to reach under-represented groups and introduce young people to ideas and experiences that can create an “ah hah” moment, where they discover a passion for health care. Peoria’s Friendship House President and CEO Marcellus Sommerville says plenty of young people have lit up with ideas after participating in a STEAM activity, such as a baby shark dissection led by OSF STEAM educators who came on-site to guide the effort.

“I mean, we've had experiences where kids have said they want to be a biochemist, and they're really excited; they see themselves as you know, dissecting and explaining and exploring. For each kid, it allows him to dream of what possibilities are there for them.”

Sommerville says as many as 40 young people from Friendship House also spent time over one week, learning about career options by exploring the various labs and technology at Jump.

“They got to touch the manikins, they got to see how the blood flowed and all the different things I mean, for that week, they were overjoyed. So, I think that's the fun part about the partnership – exposing these kids to bigger and better things that they necessarily would not see or did not know.”

The Anatomy Academy augmented reality lessons will generate excitement, Sommerville says, because with only a smartphone, kids will get a more immersive experience. In that way, easy technology can be an equalizer 
as Sommerville sees it.

“I think it could offset and help the kids who maybe don’t have those opportunities to have a laptop at home or bigger devices, but most kids have a mobile phone and if they can use it in a proper way, it can be a huge benefit.”

Sommerville is also grateful to donors to the OSF STEAM program because, he says, they’re investing in the community and helping kids dream of how they can join the medical workforce of the future.

Noell Adams

Marcellus Sommerville

National STEAM Day AR Lessons B-roll

OSF HealthCare is thrilled to announce a licensing agreement with Summit Venture Studio to commercialize and expand Medical Cart AR, an innovative medical training software developed by OSF Innovation. Medical Cart AR is an augmented reality training application designed to assist health care providers in locating key equipment swiftly during medical emergencies.

In emergency situations, rapid access to medical equipment can be critical. However, many health care providers don’t have the opportunity to train and quickly familiarize themselves with their medical carts because most hospitals restrict their use exclusively to emergencies. While these precautions minimize the need for constant inventory checks, they can create challenges in training new health care personnel. In addition, each organization typically has various types of medical carts, with different configurations, making it more difficult for new or temporary workers to locate key content efficiently. 

 Medical Cart AR addresses this issue by allowing hospitals and health care providers to simulate their own medical carts accurately through augmented reality. This case study reveals nurses and other staff can effortlessly identify the exact location of essential equipment without the risk of disrupting patient supplies. Unlike other simulators, Medical Cart AR is fully customizable, doesn’t require technical support and is easily accessible on a personal device. The unique app also features a built-in timer, enabling users to enhance their efficiency.

Medical Cart AR was developed by the OSF Innovation Studio’s Medical Visualization (MedVis) team with initial input from clinicians and faculty at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, respectively, with the goal of enhancing the training and preparedness of health care professionals. 

“I presented a prototype of the app at a national conference in 2020 to gain feedback about its practicality and immediately gained interest from others in the simulation space,” said Kyle Formella, director of MedVis. “With no national standard for medical cart setup, these life-saving tools vary from organization to organization. That makes it difficult for clinicians to recall their contents, which is why ongoing training is so important.” 

Formella is excited to hand off the commercialization efforts to Summit Venture Studio so the app will become available to more learners in health systems across the country. 

Brent Cross of OSF Innovation Studio says his team saw the potential and was encouraged to pursue the effort due to enthusiasm from others in health care.

Taylor Bench, managing director at Summit Venture Studio, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, "We are excited to collaborate with OSF to introduce Medical Cart AR to the health care industry and provide customizable innovative training solutions to medical workers across the nation.”

Video demonstration (B-roll) of Medical Cart AR app