Virtual nursing expands; analytics aim to prevent disease

A Virginia healthcare system is monitoring more than 2,300 hospital beds through a virtual nursing model, allowing licensed nurses to assess, educate and support patients remotely while coordinating with bedside teams. The approach is presented as a foundation for broader digital‑first care strategies that can improve access and efficiency.

Digital‑health researcher Precious Ejiba argues that predictive analytics can shift care from reacting to disease toward prevention. Using data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, her work shows that routine metabolic and lifestyle indicators can identify individuals at high risk for metabolic‑dysfunction‑associated steatotic liver disease well before symptoms appear, suggesting a path to early intervention for chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.