The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expects the upcoming fall and winter respiratory disease season in the United States will likely have a similar number of combined peak hospitalizations due to COVID-19, influenza, and RSV compared to last season.

As the respiratory virus season arrives, OSF OnCall is also reminding parents that it offers an at-home monitoring and support program for babies and toddlers 5 and under who have an infection from a respiratory virus. Those include: the flu, rhinovirus, croup, pneumonia, and others including RSV, the number one reason for hospitalization of children under age 1 in the United States. It can lead to other infections including bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs), especially in babies.

The digital health arm of OSF HealthCare will provide support for patients with a pediatric respiratory virus and caregivers in the comfort of their own homes. Enrollment offers a connection to OSF OnCall care teams 24/7 and monitoring tools that will aid in proactive response to worsening respiratory virus symptoms, keeping infants and toddlers out of the hospital.

Mary Stapel, MD, lead physician for Community Care for OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center says RSV and other respiratory infections can often be managed at home.

“For the more common cold type symptoms, we can recommend the conservative treatments at home nasal saline with some suctioning, a cool mist humidifier you know, just kind of frequent, small feedings to optimize keeping that child hydrated.”

Clinical Digital Care Supervisor Rose Smith, RN, says OSF OnCall was able to implement its 24/7 digitally enabled, at-home support program for RSV so quickly two years ago because of its experience with similar monitoring to help patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart failure. Smith says parents and caregivers have loved it.

How it works

“They love having support anytime in the day, however they want to do it – text message, phone call, anything. They can send us pictures. We've really kind of taken that to tailor what parents need to feel comfortable taking their children home, you know, from a clinic; from the hospital during the scary time.”

An OSF OnCall software application provides education and notifications to report relevant signs/symptoms over 10 days. Smith says upon enrollment, parents or guardians receive a care kit for at-home use from their provider following a visit or a digital community health worker can deliver one.

“So we have a pulse oximeter to monitor oxygen levels and their heart rate and then we have a thermometer, and we also provide saline spray, and then a bulb syringe. A lot of parents, when their babies are born, they use them in the hospital, but they might not know that they can use them to help relieve any secretions especially before feeding their children.”

Smith adds, it’s also important to clear the nose before a nap or bedtime. Parents also receive step-by-step written instructions as well as a video demonstration for how to use what’s provided in the kit.

The OSF OnCall respiratory illness RPM program is for anyone in Illinois or Michigan. Patients must have a positive test or diagnosis of a respiratory infection to qualify. Referrals can be made by providers in a hospital emergency department, OSF OnCall Urgent Care, OSF PromptCare, medical offices, or following hospital discharge.

Smith says parents who have a child in the program can request a video visit at any time. The OSF OnCall nurse will also recommend a video visit if needed.

“If they think their child looks off, we just have another set of eyes. The providers will look at it (to see if they need a higher level of care). Sometimes our nurses can tell the parents you know, ‘We think they need to be seen. Can we do a video visit just before you take your child out, especially now that it's colder out?’ You know, we don't want them if they're having trouble breathing to go outside, but we really just focus on what works best to still get them the care that they need.”

Last season, the remote monitoring program for pediatric respiratory viruses enrolled a total of 717 babies and toddlers from September through April.

At OSF HealthCare and across the country, there is concern a return to school and more activities moving indoors this fall could accelerate the transmission of RSV, the flu, COVID-19, and other viral illnesses. Dr. Stapel advises making sure you and everyone around you practices good hand hygiene, coughs into the inside of their elbow, and stays home from parties and other obligations if you are sick.

If you suspect your child has symptoms of RSV, the flu, or some other respiratory virus that don’t appear life-threatening, you can reach out to your pediatrician, primary care provider or OSF OnCall Urgent Care which also has a virtual visit option anytime.

Video clips with Dr. Mary Stapel and Rose Smith, RN

B-roll for RPM for pediatric viruses

Being discharged from the hospital can be a scary time. It can include dealing with a new diagnosis, waiting for tests results or adapting to taking a new medication. A 2022 study found that nearly 25% of patients experience adverse events within 14 weeks of discharge, nearly half of which could have been prevented.

That reality prompted OSF HealthCare to innovate to improve the transition back to home and to prevent people from having to return to the hospital. Rose Smith, RN, manager of Digital Care, OSF OnCall, says the Post Hospital Discharge program invites people who have been discharged from the hospital to download the GetWell Anywhere APP to get 24/7 access to their care team. If people don’t want to use the app, they can choose to receive a text or communicate through the GetWell Anywhere website.

Smith says individuals receive daily check-in messages and education.  

“It’s just asking, ‘Do you have your appointments? Do you have transportation? Do you have your meds? How is your condition?’ And then from there our team of nurses and medical assistants will read those responses; reach out to the patient if needed and then also if they have a change in condition, we have advanced practice providers who can do a video visit to see if we can keep these patients home instead of going back to the hospital.” 

The program requires no special equipment. If those who are newly discharged want to track blood pressure, they can use a vitals log. Low risk patients are in the program for 12 days. Any patient who is considered to be medium to high risk for complications or hospital readmission is enrolled for 30 days. Smith says enrollment can be extended, or it can end early, depending on individual circumstances.

For people who have received a new diagnosis, Smith says the Post Hospital Discharge program can offer easy access to answers.

“This just really gives them the opportunity to send us those questions. If they want to talk to a provider, maybe they’re unsure if their medications changed, this gives them an opportunity to have 24-hour access to a nurse, to a provider if maybe something comes up – that we can keep them from needing to go back to the hospital.” 

Sometimes, follow-up appointments after getting out of the hospital don’t happen for two weeks or longer so Smith says having an instant connection before that appointment can be important.

“Do they need extra support? Are they trying to contact someone? Do they not know who to contact? Maybe they have new specialists. Maybe they’re waiting for the referral to go through. So really looking at how we can give them support in between those appointments.” 

OSF HealthCare is trying to lower its hospital 30-day readmission rate across the Ministry, which is currently 12.8%. That compares to 7% for those enrolled in the Post Hospital Discharge program that began in May of 2021. It began supporting all people leaving the hospital at medium to high risk for readmission. The project expanded three months later to include people who are enrolled in home care after a hospital visit.

The digital connection is now also available to low-risk patients leaving all OSF hospitals except the most recently acquired OSF HealthCare Saint Katharine Medical Center in Dixon, Illinois. The hospital is not yet on the Epic electronic medical records system used at all other OSF Hospitals. 

To date, nearly 15,400 people have activated an account to stay connected – just under 30% of people invited. Leaders emphasize the post-hospital support program also helps individuals who have trouble getting to their follow-up appointment. Smith says one of the biggest needs is transportation and OSF OnCall digital health navigators are helping connect people to what they need.

“We have our digital health navigator team who anytime a patient says they’re needing help at home – they might need help getting equipment, picking it up, picking up prescriptions, getting transportation – then we’re able to escalate that to those team members and they’re able to help find resources.” 

Anyone with questions about the program or who needs help getting started with the GetWell Anywhere connection can call (833) 673-5867.

Rose Smith

B-roll of OSF OnCall Post Hospital Discharge program

OSF On Call, the digital health arm of Peoria, Illinois-based OSF HealthCare has enrolled nearly 80 more babies and toddlers in a program to monitor at home, those with respiratory illness. The program provides support for patients with a pediatric respiratory virus. Enrollment offers a connection to OSF OnCall care teams 24/7 and monitoring tools that will aid in proactive response to worsening respiratory virus symptoms, keeping infants and toddlers out of the hospital.

September through January of this year, the program enrolled 966 children compared to 890 a year ago. This comes as the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that after a one-week dip, the state’s overall respiratory illness level has ticked up again from Moderate to High, driven by a notable increase in emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions for flu.

The program requires a referral from a medical provider and is for babies and toddlers 5 and under with a confirmed diagnosis. Referrals can be made by providers in a hospital emergency department, OSF OnCall Urgent Care, OSF PromptCare, medical offices, or following hospital discharge.

Mary Stapel, MD, lead physician for Community Care for OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center says RSV and other respiratory infections can often be managed at home.

“For the more common cold type symptoms, we can recommend the conservative treatments at home nasal saline with some suctioning, a cool mist humidifier you know, just kind of frequent, small feedings to optimize keeping that child hydrated.”

Clinical Digital Care Supervisor Rose Smith, RN, says OSF OnCall was able to implement its 24/7 digitally enabled, at-home support program for RSV so quickly two years ago because of its experience with similar monitoring to help patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart failure. Smith says parents and caregivers have loved it.

“They love having support anytime in the day, however they want to do it – text message, phone call, anything. They can send us pictures. We've really kind of taken that to tailor what parents need to feel comfortable taking their children home, you know, from a clinic; from the hospital during the scary time.”

An OSF OnCall software application provides education and notifications to report relevant signs/symptoms over 10 days. Smith says upon enrollment, parents or guardians receive a care kit for at-home use from their provider following a visit or a digital community health worker can deliver one.

“So we have a pulse oximeter to monitor oxygen levels and their heart rate and then we have a thermometer, and we also provide saline spray, and then a bulb syringe. A lot of parents, when their babies are born, they use them in the hospital, but they might not know that they can use them to help relieve any secretions especially before feeding their children.”

Smith adds, it’s also important to clear the nose before a nap or bedtime. Parents also receive step-by-step written instructions as well as a video demonstration for how to use what’s provided in the kit.

Smith says parents who have a child in the program can request a video visit at any time. The OSF OnCall nurse will also recommend a video visit if needed.

“If they think their child looks off, we just have another set of eyes. The providers will look at it (to see if they need a higher level of care). Sometimes our nurses can tell the parents you know, ‘We think they need to be seen. Can we do a video visit just before you take your child out, especially now that it's colder out?’ You know, we don't want them if they're having trouble breathing to go outside, but we really just focus on what works best to still get them the care that they need.”

Dr. Stapel advises making sure you and everyone around you practices good hand hygiene, coughs into the inside of their elbow, and stays home from parties and other obligations if you are sick.

If you suspect your child has symptoms of RSV, the flu, or some other respiratory virus that don’t appear life-threatening, you can reach out to your pediatrician, primary care provider or OSF OnCall Urgent Care which also has a virtual visit option anytime.

Dr. Mary Stapel

Rose Smith

B-roll for OSF OnCall at-home pediatric respiratory monitoring