Top 5 Digital Health stories of 2025

Digital health continues to reshape how people connect with care — breaking down barriers of distance, time and access in ways that were once unimaginable. In 2025, those advances moved from promise to practice, with new technologies helping patients get care faster and using data to make more informed decisions. OSF HealthCare, through its OSF OnCall digital health arm, has been able to reach communities that have long been underserved. From artificial intelligence and virtual care to immersive technologies and smarter data use, OSF OnCall continued to push health care forward.

These are the Top 5 digital health stories of 2025, in no particular order.

From crisis to confidence: Patient praises new OSF 24/7 primary care – Marci Schneider Batsakis of Orland Park, Illinois was the first patient enrolled in OSF CompleteCare 55+, a new hybrid model of primary care in Evergreen Park, using virtual visits and digital connections to help older people get fast access to providers and stay on top of their health. Schneider Batsakis called the round-the-clock care team number when her blood pressure became dangerously high and that led to timely treatment in the hospital, follow-up support, and a care plan tailored to her needs.

OSF HealthCare receives $1.5 million for new mobile pregnancy and postpartum care unit An OSF OnCall Connect mobile van will offer doorstep service as an extension for women on Medicaid enrolled in a pregnancy and postpartum digital support program. Meridian and Centene Foundation provided $1.5 million in funding for the van to operate in maternity deserts in 12 Illinois counties.

OSF HealthCare offers another layer of monitoring for moms and babies – OSF HealthCare launched 24/7 virtual labor monitoring to enhance in-person care with AI technology. AI software alerts OSF OnCall Acute OB nurses to potential risks, enabling quick coordination with staff at Family Birthing Centers at hospitals across the OSF HealthCare Ministry. This is part of a broader effort to reduce mortality rates among women and babies which remain high compared to other wealthy nations. As part of that effort, we also opted to extend to all patients in the I-80 region, regardless of payor, a Medicaid program for virtual visits and digital support. The area has lost a number of OBGYN providers.

Skip the wait with new OSF OnCall virtual exam visit – OSF OnCall Urgent Care walk-in clinics can get busy, especially during the winter with respiratory viruses. So OSF HealthCare installed new technology in urgent care clinics, allowing patients to do in-office virtual visits and bypass the waiting room. Visitors to the OSF OnCall Urgent Care can get accurate testing and diagnoses using digital tools and an on-screen OSF medical provider.

OSF HealthCare using virtual ER to cut patient wait times – OSF HealthCare is using an innovative approach to help reduce wait times in the emergency departments at OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa and Peru. Patients who meet certain criteria will be given the option to divert to a virtual medical exam through the use of advanced technology and an onsite nurse.

Top 5 OSF Innovation stories of 2025

As we kick off a new year at OSF HealthCare, we’re looking back at 2025 and the big steps we took to make it easier for patients to access care and health information. Working alongside our academic and business partners, we continued to tap into shared expertise and use artificial intelligence in thoughtful, responsible ways — always guided by what’s fair, appropriate, valid, effective and safe (FAVES).

Those efforts are reflected in our Top 5 OSF Innovation stories of 2025, listed in no particular order.

OSF HealthCare named one of America’s Most Innovative Companies – Fortune recognized OSF for its innovation culture and forward-thinking approach, highlighting digital and AI-driven advancements transforming care delivery. OSF first received this distinction in 2023.

OSF Innovation brings VR beating hearts to life for safer surgeries – Thanks to a breakthrough at OSF Innovation, surgeons can “see” their patient’s heart beating in 3D before ever stepping into the operating room. For surgeons, the benefits are game-changing. They can see not only the anatomy but also how it changes with every beat. This is especially critical for conditions such as hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, where the problem lies in how the heart contracts. Even more surprising, the AI began rendering valves — structures notoriously difficult to see on CT scans.

An OSF inventor collaborates to help kids play safely through cancer – Exercise physiologist Nick Kemp collaborated with OSF Innovation Studio to design Port Guard that protects the central venous access port for kids with cancer who want to play and stay active. Seven-year-old Amaneigh Stevenson, pediatric cancer patient, was part of testing and declared, “It makes me feel safe. I love it a lot.”

OSF developing app to diagnose migraines sooner and more accurately – For millions of people living with migraine headaches, 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.

Decoding your DNA to prevent disease – Using innovative genetic testing, OSF HealthCare stepped farther into personalized medicine in 2025, with a pilot to allow people to be tested with just a swab of their cheek for genetic mutations to determine if someone is at high risk of any of 10 major diseases. So called polygenic testing is not yet covered by insurance but for someone with a a family history of heart disease, cancer or Alzheimer’s, this $250 test could provide some early warning signs and better yet, early intervention.

As the respiratory virus season kicks into high gear, virtual urgent care is a great option.  

Instead of having to wait until a walk-in clinic opens, OSF OnCall offers virtual care options that are available 24/7 year-round, including holidays and weekends. Some of issues that can be handled virtually include colds, stuffy or runny nose, cough, headache, sore throat, fever, or muscle aches, urinary tract infections, bites and stings, fatigue, upset stomach, pink eye, rashes.

If you are having difficulty breathing, that’s a medical emergency and you should go straight to the Emergency Department.

Kate Barth, vice president/chief nursing officer for On-Demand Services, OSF OnCall, says consumers want health care options that are convenient, like what they’re used to experiencing with online shopping and banking. That’s why OSF offers lower-cost, easy virtual urgent care options, especially when a minor illness or injury happens after hours.

“It’s the mom with multiple children who are sleeping and (she thinks) ‘I have a sick kiddo who I cannot console and what do I do?’ Seeking out virtual urgent care in those options is such a great opportunity to connect with a provider who typically would serve you in that urgent care setting,” says Barth.

For a flat fee, you can choose an online interview, or a video visit and you’ll be connected with the same experienced providers you’d see during an in-person visit to an OSF OnCall Urgent Care clinic.

Individuals who want to virtually access OSF OnCall Urgent Care can select an online interview (taking between 5-15 minutes), where they’re asked a series of questions about symptoms and how they’re feeling. Their information will be reviewed within an hour. Using a chat feature, additional information could be requested before an OSF HealthCare provider offers a treatment plan. 

If a provider needs to visualize something, a video visit is also available.

Barth says, “Maybe the provider would need to visualize the bug bite or something that looks like a rash, so we do have that video option also available to be able to assess that situation and be able to give a diagnosis in that case as well.”

If treatment requires medication, a prescription can be sent to the pharmacy of the individual’s choice.

What happens if the online consult or video visit reveals someone needs to be seen in-person?

“We all know there are things that sometimes can’t be virtually treated,” says Barth. “Sometimes a lab test may be needed, or a hands-on assessment might be needed to confirm a diagnosis. In that case, we simply refund that virtual visit knowing that it is best-case scenario for you to be seen in an actual urgent care setting.”

For example, sprains and strains can usually be assessed virtually, but broken bones can only be confirmed through an X-ray, which is available at an OSF OnCall Urgent Care walk-in location.

You can find more information or start a virtual visit anytime at osfoncall.org.

Kate Barth

B-roll-OSF OnCall Virtual Urgent Care 

OSF HealthCare will host the 2025 OSF OnCall Digital Health Symposium on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at the Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center in Peoria, one of the largest simulation and innovation centers in the world, at 1306 N. Berkeley Ave. in Peoria, Illinois.

The all-day event will showcase the transformative power of digital innovation in health care, featuring engaging sessions, networking opportunities and insights from national leaders in the field.

A highlight of the symposium will be keynote Kyle Zebley, senior vice president of Public Policy, with the American Telemedicine Association (ATA). He will explore how ATA Action and the Center of Digital Excellence (CODE) are driving policy change to ensure telehealth and digital care are recognized as essential infrastructure.

The keynote session, “Navigating the Path to Permanent Digital Health Policy: From Telehealth to Digital-Native Care Models”, will set the stage for discussions about how health systems, policymakers and innovators can collaborate to advance digital health.

Breakout sessions will highlight real-world applications of digital solutions, including:

• Transforming the Patient Room: Advancing Care Through hellocare.ai Smart Technology
• Connected Care: Leveraging Virtual Programs for Post-Hospitalization Support
• Seeds of Change: Growing a Quality Virtual Nursing Program
• Transforming the Future of Primary Care with OSF CompleteCare 55+

Plus, join us for:

·         An opportunity to tour a smart tech hospital room and the OnCall Connect Pregnancy and Postpartum mobile clinic

“Pending legislation seeks to codify the widely used waivers that have allowed for broader access to telehealth, including originating from patients' homes and by a wider range of providers, and to address other telehealth-related provisions,” says Jennifer Junis, president of OSF OnCall. “The ATA and OSF HealthCare are partners in the advocacy effort, and we look forward to highlighting our strategy and progress.”

The event will run from 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. and includes breakfast, lunch and networking with health care innovators, clinicians and industry partners.

This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team. Learners will receive 5.00 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change. 

In support of improving patient care, Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Registration is open through 11:45 a.m. on November 5, 2025.
For details and to register, visit: OSF OnCall Digital Health Symposium Registration.

Event Location:
Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center
1306 N. Berkeley Ave.
Peoria, Illinois

This activity was planned by and for the health care team, and learners will receive contact hours through Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) for professional development. Final credit hours are pending.

Register NOW.

Marci Schneider Batsakis of Orland Park, Illinois never imagined when she enrolled in a new type of primary care that offers 24/7 digital access that she would be using it the first weekend.

Schneider Batsakis was the first patient to enroll in mid-June in OSF CompleteCare 55+. The service offers around-the-clock digital support, plus virtual and in-person care at its new clinic at 99^th and Western in south suburban Evergreen Park. She liked the idea of coordinated care that was connected to a hospital system.

“I wanted my care to be coordinated in a more organic way. I wanted my doctors to have privileges at the same hospital, have a passing recognition of each other, so that I knew I truly had a team working with me.”

OSF Complete Care 55+ is operated by OSF HealthCare, a 17-hospital system that includes OSF HealthCare Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Evergreen Park. OSF CompleteCare 55+, focuses on patients who are 55 or older and experiencing two or more ongoing health conditions. For Schneider Batsakis, that’s high blood pressure and arthritis.

High blood pressure was the issue six days after first enrolling. The retired nurse knew something was wrong and sure enough, her blood pressure was extremely and dangerously high. Schneider Batsakis used the OSF CompleteCare 55+ 24/7 care team phone number, and an advanced practice registered nurse listened to her symptoms and immediately told her, “Either you call an ambulance, or I will.”

Schneider Batsakis said she needed that clear advice and was glad she could get it at 11:30 on a Saturday morning. She spent that night in the hospital where she received tests and was monitored.

“I'm fine now, but had he not told me what to do, I might have spent the next hour trying to figure out if I really wanted to do it. Should I be calling someone to drive me to the hospital? So, it really was exactly what I needed.”

Schneider Batsakis jokes that her daughters have degrees from Google university and in this case, they were glad their mom had someone to call and get great, reliable advice. She has also given them, as medical power of attorneys, the 24/7 care team phone number.

Schneider Batsakis’ follow-up at OSF CompleteCare 55+ was the Monday morning following the weekend health emergency.

Schneider Batsakis shares. "What CompleteCare offered me was a place to come in on that Monday, admit that I was scared, talk about my concerns, and I felt like they [her concerns] were listened to. I felt like I was validated, and we sat and came up with a plan of care that's right for me.”

Part of her care plan will include a referral to a registered dietitian because while in the hospital, she was tested for diabetes, and her A1C, a measurement average blood sugar levels over time, was a bit high.

Schneider Batsakis welcomes the referral and says she's pleased to get expert advice on how to maintain a healthy blood sugar level.

The newly built OSF CompleteCare 55+ clinic features 12 exam rooms, on-site labs, and extended hours. Features were developed through listening sessions with the older adult community on Chicago’s south side and southwest suburbs to hear what care the community wanted.

Managing medical director Sandy Valino Stock, DO, says future plans include group visits for education. OSF CompleteCare 55+ offers at-home digital monitoring tools and devices that allow 24/7 support. The clinic also features a Connect Bar, an area of the lobby where care navigators help patients get connected to OSF MyChart, messaging options and to make appointments with specialists.

Schneider Batsakis looks forward to feeling a part of a community and to getting the care where and when she needs it. The active suburban resident also encourages those 55 years and beyond to consider enrolling so they can experience a new level of access and a more personalized approach to care.

“Especially if you’re a woman who no longer needs your OB/GYN and you’ve been using urgent care as your primary care; this is where you need to be. The community of people understand that we are not youngsters. They understand what’s going on with us. They’re looking at our age and our concerns and helping us be the best that we can be as we move forward.”

Here's the website for more information, including frequently asked questions or to get started with OSF CompleteCare 55+.  

Marci Schneider Batsakis

B-roll-OSF CompleteCare 55+ patient story

OSF HealthCare is introducing a new way for patients to connect. My OSF is a smart phone app that offers a single place to access OSF resources. It makes it easy to find urgent care, access OSF MyChart, navigate OSF locations, pay bills and more. My OSF empowers patients with instant access to everything they need to manage their health.  

A key feature is wayfinding to help patients navigate from their home or office to the parking lot to their medical destination. Then, it offers step-by-step directions once inside and includes floor maps to help navigate what can sometimes be dauntingly large facilities. *(Currently available at the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute in Peoria with more locations are coming soon!)

Here are the many features within My OSF:

• Find a provider
• Find an OSF HealthCare location near you and get directions
• Get wait times for urgent care locations
• Start an OSF OnCall Urgent Care virtual visit
• Schedule an appointment 
• Access OSF MyChart
• Pay a bill
• Access Clare, our 24/7 virtual health assistant, who helps patients manage symptoms and connect to a nurse anytime, anywhere.
  Discover career opportunities
• Find useful health and wellness information
• Navigate locations within large medical facilities, starting with the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute in Peoria with additional locations being added

The My OSF app also allows users to save the most often visited features on the app as a favorite. The app is available for all smartphones to download from any app store.

OSF OnCall Urgent Care clinics are located near neighborhoods and shopping areas where, historically, health care providers have not been located. The placement offers convenience and a more modern setting that has the feel of a lounge or café rather than a traditional doctor’s office, and it offers greater ease of access to care. Charging stations, free coffee, water or hot chocolate, blankets during the cold weather, and a large family treatment room allows for children to accompany a parent and siblings.

The new OSF OnCall urgent care will be at 661 S. Peace Road, Ste. 101 in Sycamore. The new clinic is scheduled to open July 29, with a soft launch providing health assessments and treatment Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Eventually, operations will expand to weekends. Walk-ins are welcome or online reservations are available at osfoncall.org.

OSF OnCall Urgent Care is staffed by experienced care guides, a radiology technologist and an advanced practice provider. Providers deliver basic urgent care services such as treatment for cold, cough, flu, sprains, minor lacerations and fractures, school and sports physicals, urinary tract and upper respiratory infections among other minor ailments and conditions. The sites have X-ray and diagnostic laboratory services available as needed for treatment. Additionally, many common medicines, such as antibiotics, will be dispensed onsite, so many patients will be able to skip the trip to the pharmacy.

“From busy parents to college students and retirees, we also know there’s a need for safe, high-quality, hyper-convenient and affordable health care and OnCall Urgent Care opens the doors to provide just that. The easy access – whether in-person, or virtually – offers urgent care without the hassle and cost of a trip to the emergency department,” Barth stressed.

“The addition of the new OSF OnCall option in Sycamore allows us to serve area residents where and when they need it. OSF OnCall Virtual Urgent Care is also available when people need care after hours,” Barth stressed.“ OSF OnCall Urgent Care is a wonderful service that embraces a modern urgent care concept, so we are able to provide quick, high-quality care for on-the-go patients.”

Anyone experiencing a medical emergency or symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, or severe abdominal pain should go directly to the nearest emergency department or call 9-1-1.

B-Roll

Health systems, including OSF HealthCare, want the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to extend for five more years the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver program Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver program to allow payment for at-home, hospital level care such as what’s being offered through OSF OnCall, the digital arm of OSF. The additional time would allow health systems to continue to build out logistics, supply chains and staffing and gather enough data to convince lawmakers at-home hospital care is safe, cost-effective and patients love it.

Paesani, who has COPD and a heart condition, was recently discharged from the OSF OnCall Digital Hospital program which she called, “an impossible dream.” She received regular in-person visits from a team of nurses who answered questions, took vitals, dispensed medication and made sure she had enough portable oxygen. An OSF OnCall provider overseeing her care checked in with virtual visits twice daily while Paesani enjoyed being home with her dog and having three meals delivered daily to her home from the hospital.

The one-time marketing coordinator lives alone but enjoyed her family being able stop by so easily each day without having to navigate parking decks and long walks down endless hospital hallways.

Robert Thornton, 78, of Belvidere just outside of Rockford spent five days receiving hospital-level care in the home he shares with his wife, Nancy. He had COVID and pneumonia, in addition to his COPD. His trip to the hospital was scary but his trip back home for a five-day stay in the Digital Hospital program was far better than he expected.

After passing both clinical and social screenings at the hospital, Thornton authorized the OSF OnCall team to set up all the equipment he would need at home to communicate and receive treatment. That includes a personal emergency response system which rings to the OSF OnCall Command Center for a nurse to respond to, triage and send an ambulance if necessary. Think of it as the call light in a hospital, only with someone monitoring it remotely at all times.

Thornton was visited by a field team of a nurse and nursing assistant, in addition to the twice-a-day virtual visits via a tablet that he didn’t even have to turn on and off.

“They came in three to four times a day to ensure that I took my medicine, that I had blood tests done, that I conversed with the main office via phone, and to give me my IVs and to see that everything went smoothly ... that I was progressing towards the final goal of being better.”

Navigating the equipment was easy for Thornton and his wife who recommend the program to anyone who qualifies. He points out a month ago, he was winded climbing just a few steps to get into his house. Now, he can manage that without a problem. His advice, “Just go for it.”

Care is safe and convenient for patients

Research to date shows patients in digital hospital programs recover faster, experience fewer falls and hospital acquired infections. OSF OnCall Digital Care Manager Melissa Meier, MSN, RN says the model also increases capacity to provide acute-care without additional costs. As patients are brought home, it frees up beds within the medical center for the most critically ill patients.

Courtney Dahnert, MSN, RN, supervisor of Clinical Digital Care for OSF OnCall Digital Hospital in Rockford, says the care team at the OSF OnCall Command Center will identify patients aged 18 and older who could be enrolled. Criteria includes their diagnosis, condition stability, whether their insurer offers coverage, and they must live within 30 minutes of OSF Saint Anthony.

Dahnert loves the return to a more personalized approach that includes Bluetooth enabled devices for patient-specific data which offer valuable insights into how the patient is doing, allowing proactive interventions. Personalized care plans for digital hospital patients are developed around individual routines – even must-see TV shows.

“It takes us back to being able to provide that really good care; getting to know someone even though we're only caring for them for two or three days and making their health relevant to them. And it gives us time to breathe. So it's an amazing opportunity for both the patient and the provider.”

OSF was the first provider of hospital-at-home care in Illinois and has served more than 400 patients since the program was launched in 2022 in Peoria. CMS is currently gathering comments about hospital-at-home and will make recommendations to Congress this fall about whether to extend the waiver program, make it permanent or end it. 

Video clips with patient Robert Thornton and  Courtney Dahnert 

B-roll of first OSF OnCall Digital Hospital patient in Rockford area

Samantha, a 25-year-old woman who recently had her second baby, enrolled in a new program through OSF OnCall Connect that provides support to pregnant women with Medicaid insurance.

The program likely saved her life. Eight days after she delivered a healthy baby girl, Samantha messaged her care team through an application that can be accessed on a tablet or smartphone that serves as a key connection and education tool.

It’s available through the OSF OnCall Connect pregnancy-postpartum program and connects patients instantly to a nurse. Samantha explained she was suffering from a terrible migraine headache and chest pains. The OSF OnCall nurse immediately recognized the significance of her symptoms and notified the advance practice provider who recommended Samantha go directly to the Emergency Department. She had a serious condition called postpartum pre-eclampsia, which can lead to brain damage, stroke and death if left untreated. Samantha was to make a full recovery. She’s also is a Black woman, and in the United States, pregnant Black women are three times more likely than white women to die as a result of pregnancy.

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found 80% of maternal deaths between 2017 and 2019 were due to preventable causes, and many of the deaths occurred within the first year after giving birth. The statistics are behind the new OSF program that was launched under the umbrella of a state-funded program called the Medicaid Innovation Collaborative.

Kate Johnson, clinical supervisor for Digital Care at OSF, says 970 women with Medicaid insurance have signed up for the pregnancy and postpartum program since it was launched in August. Currently, nearly 500 women are actively enrolled. Johnson says pregnant women, especially those who have a lack of resources, are eager to have the 24/7 connection offered through an app they can download on their smart phone or tablet

“It provides check-in questions, routine questions, like ‘Are they having any signs of infection, UTI symptoms? Are they struggling with breastfeeding; having any depression symptoms?’ And if they answer in any kind of an alarming way, that lets our nurses know right away … sends them an alert, and we're able to contact those patients via telephone and triage if we need to.”

Women on Medicaid can self-enroll in the free program starting eight weeks into their pregnancy by going online to register. After they enroll, women will be sent a blood pressure cuff to take regular readings and the program can connect them to other equipment they might need such as a breast pump.

Women can also enroll in the postpartum program without having participated in the pregnancy support. Johnson says women will receive new education messages each week throughout their pregnancy and postpartum.

“I think the education that we provide those moms during their pregnancy is awesome because it's getting them ready to deliver their baby. So, helping them think about things like how they want to feed their baby, birth plan, pain management for their delivery, things of that nature.”

Connecting women to mental health support

The CDC study found mental health issues were among the preventable, pregnancy-related conditions that lead to higher mortality rates. Johnson says that’s why the program offers depression screening upon enrollment in the pregnancy program, and when they deliver, they have the option to enroll in the postpartum portion. For postpartum support, they can indicate the type of support they need, such as selecting whether they delivered vaginally or via C-section or if they require information on infant care.

Even though women are screened for depression in the hospital after they give birth, it’s often six weeks before they have a follow-up appointment. Johnson says that’s sometimes too late, and women too often suffer in silence.

“So, we will be screening her right upon enrollment into the postpartum loop. And then we'll do a two-or three-week check-in to make sure emotions are doing okay. There is such a huge change in emotions postpartum with the changes in your hormones and bringing a baby home plus the sleep deprivation. So, we want to be there to support them in that initial six weeks before they see their provider.”

A patient named Jane enrolled and indicated she suffered from untreated postpartum depression after her first child, which is a risk factor she could experience that with another pregnancy. Jane had messaged regularly after delivering her second child, and by her third week, made contact and told the OSF OnCall nurse she had worsening depression to the point she had suicidal and homicidal thoughts. The woman was taken to a local hospital to get help, and remained calm while waiting for the ambulance because of the connection and trust she felt with a nurse she had had regular contact with through the program.

The OSF OnCall Connect pregnancy and postpartum initiative also screens for social determinants of health – all those factors outside of a medical office, such as food insecurity, financial struggles, housing and transportation challenges, to fill the gaps that could contribute to the woman’s health and the health of their baby. Johnson shares there are common struggles.

“I think what we're seeing mostly is patients who are struggling with transportation to get to their actual OB provider appointments, so we are able to align transportation for them in most cases. Just this past weekend, we had a patient that had no car but needed a prescription. So, we aligned her with a pharmacy that delivered those medications directly to her door.”

Women with Medicaid insurance enrolled in the program have the option of being connected with a digitally-enabled community health worker who can help them navigate ongoing support from community-based organizations. Translation services are part of the support provided to make sure women get the medical care and outside resources that can help meet their social service needs met.

Video clips with Kate Johnson, clinical supervisor of Digital Care, OSF OnCall Connect

You visit a health care provider for a minor ailment, and you leave with a plan to get better. It could be medication or changing habits, combined with follow-up appointments.

But the issues in the background don’t go away. You might say to yourself:

•  I don’t have a car or childcare. How am I going to get back for the important follow-up?
   
•  A gas station is the only place around me to get food. I can’t go for walks because it’s unsafe. How am I going to start living healthier?
   
•  I can’t afford a new mattress. What will stop my back from hurting in the morning?

These outside, non-medical factors are called social determinants of health. Health care providers everywhere are trained to ask people about them and link them with resources.

Lucas Edwards, PA, is a primary care provider at OSF HealthCare in Godfrey, Illinois. He sees social determinants of health come into play frequently.

“[Some] patients don’t have a car or someone they can depend on for consistent rides,” Edwards says. “They might have something that’s going on that’s medically urgent, and they can’t get to where they need to go. And so they put things off until it gets to the point where things get a little bit out of control.”

In those cases, people usually end up in the emergency department – nobody’s idea of a pleasant day and a more costly way to receive care.

To keep social determinants of health in mind, Edwards says to speak up when you make first contact with your provider’s office – whether that’s on the phone, checking in on a tablet at the front desk or with a medical assistant in an exam room. Tell the person about your circumstances and be willing to answer when asked about the same.

The provider will see you for what brought you there, of course. But they might also direct you to programs within the health system or in the community to help. For example:

•  An upcoming visit may be changed to virtual, an option that became more common during the pandemic.
   
•  You might be able to get care at a reduced cost.
   
•  You could be referred to a social worker.

Edwards also says a simple conversation may enlighten.

“Some patients may not have had the same access to education. They don’t understand that they have this wound on their leg, and if they don’t keep it clean, it can get worse,” Edwards says.

“The provider and the patient need to be on the same wavelength. They need to understand why I want them to do something,” Edwards adds.

There’s one last player in the social determinants of health world: the people responsible for a community’s infrastructure and other daily things we often take for granted.

For example, your doctor can treat an infection. But if you go home and drink the same contaminated water, you’re back to square one.

Or, things cost more at the grocery store than they used to.

“We work with patients who have financial constraints. They have a fixed income, and they can only spend X amount on some object,” Edwards explains. “You need to go to the grocery store and get your bare necessities. So a lot of times, their health care dollars they have budgeted get dwindled.”

“It takes a village,” to keep everyone healthy, Edwards adds.

OSF HealthCare is proactive on social determinants of health. An ongoing effort aims to have people coming to medical offices fill out a social determinants of health screen at least once a year, either through their online patient portal or on a tablet at the office. Among patients screened so far, around two-thirds identified a social need.

Learn more about social determinants of health on the World Health Organization website.

Interview clips

Previous coverage

OSF Newsroom stories on social determinants of health

OSF HealthCare blog: Caring for patients beyond the health care setting