This report presents findings from a survey of primary care providers and pediatricians, examining the burden of RSV across diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. It reveals rising case severity compared with prior seasons, underuse of diagnostic testing, and inconsistent vaccination recommendations. The report closes with recommendations to strengthen diagnostic capacity, standardize treatment protocols, and expand education for frontline providers.
Insights into Burden and Clinical Practices in Primary Care and Private Settings
April 2025
This report summarizes the findings from the RSV Impact Assessment Survey, conducted by the Excellence in Pediatrics Institute. The survey captures insights from pediatricians and primary care providers worldwide, shedding light on RSV's burden, diagnostic challenges, treatment approaches, and prevention strategies. By analyzing trends over multiple seasons, this report highlights key gaps in current practices and provides data-driven recommendations to improve RSV management in primary care settings.
Understanding these challenges is crucial for shaping effective healthcare policies, optimizing resource allocation, supporting medical professionals, and families affected by RSV. The findings emphasize the urgent need for enhanced preventive measures, including vaccination, improved diagnostic accessibility, and standardized treatment protocols to mitigate RSV's impact on young children and their caregivers.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a leading cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants and young children. While significant attention is given to the hospital burden, particularly during the RSV season, the impact on primary care and private practices remains insufficiently evaluated. These frontline settings bear substantial pressure, managing the initial wave of RSV cases and alleviating the strain on hospital facilities. Understanding this burden is critical to designing and implementing comprehensive prevention policies that address the needs of healthcare providers, families, and patients alike.
The Excellence in Pediatrics Institute conducted a survey targeting its network of frontline pediatricians, general practitioners, and other primary care providers.
The survey aimed to: 1) analyze disease burden, 2) assess treatment and management practices, 3) understand diagnostic approaches, and 4) evaluate preventive measures and educational needs.
RSV: Bridging Gaps and Enhancing Care
Evaluate the prevalence and severity of RSV-related respiratory illnesses across various pediatric age groups to better understand the disease's impact on health systems and family dynamics.
Investigate current treatment strategies and follow-up practices among healthcare providers to identify areas for improvement in managing RSV infections effectively.
Examine the frequency and circumstances under which RSV is diagnosed in primary care settings and the use of home diagnostic tests by parents to evaluate the accessibility and usage of diagnostic resources.
Explore healthcare providers' awareness of RSV prevention solutions and their participation in continuing education regarding RSV management to assess the need for enhanced training and resources.
A dual-method survey approach was employed to gather comprehensive insights into the landscape of RSV burden in primary care settings. First, an online survey was made available for 35 days, targeting child healthcare professionals directly involved in patient care. This study segment aimed to collect firsthand data on the experiences, challenges, and perceptions of those working on the frontlines of pediatric healthcare. Simultaneously, targeted mapping questionnaires were distributed to leading experts and academics across multiple countries. Due to their extensive experience and high-level understanding of national healthcare dynamics, these individuals provided invaluable contextual analysis. Their role was to offer a macro perspective on pediatric healthcare practices and systemic challenges during RSV seasons. More importantly, they reported on behalf of their local medical communities, offering aggregated insights that complemented the firsthand accounts gathered from practicing clinicians.
Aiming to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the RSV burden, the survey included three targeted questions:
Most respondents identified as pediatricians (94.95%), followed by general practitioners (5.05%).
Respondents worked across diverse settings, with 50% practicing in hospital-based pediatric clinics, 35.91% in private practices, and 14.09% in primary healthcare facilities.
A significant proportion of respondents operated in urban areas (75.33%), while others were based in suburban (17.62%) and rural (7.05%) regions.
The Survey then on the burden of RSV during the current season, emphasizing prevalence, symptom duration and severity, school absences, and healthcare needs. By monitoring these factors, we gain insights into the immediate challenges providers and families face during peak RSV periods.
The survey findings confirm that RSV constitutes a significant proportion of respiratory illnesses during the season, emphasizing its contribution to healthcare visits in primary care and private practices. Early identification and management strategies are crucial to mitigate its impact.
Prolonged symptoms place a significant strain on healthcare providers. These findings are consistent with existing studies documenting RSV recovery times, which underscore the need for improved symptom management protocols and support systems to reduce the load on healthcare practices.
Prolonged symptoms result in extended school and daycare absences, causing significant disruptions to family routines and reducing work productivity for parents and caregivers. This ripple effect highlights the far-reaching socioeconomic impact of RSV, extending beyond the immediate clinical burden. These results emphasize that the overall burden of RSV infections is not solely confined to healthcare metrics but includes considerable indirect costs and challenges at the community level, which are often overlooked in public health assessments.
In children aged 6-12 months, 33.77% of responders estimated that cases that required hospitalization in their practice were less than 10%, while 24.50% estimated these cases to be 10-20% and 25.17% to 20-50%.
In children over 12 months, 43.54% of responders estimated that cases that required hospitalization in their practice were less than 10%, while 21.77% estimated these cases to be 10-20% and 22.45% to 20-50%.
Rising RSV prevalence in the community is expected to lead to an increased number of hospitalizations. This serves as a warning for healthcare systems to prepare for heightened demand during seasonal peaks. Proactive measures, including strengthening hospital capacities and prioritizing preventive care, are essential to mitigating RSV's systemic impact on healthcare infrastructure.
In children aged 6-12 months, 45.75% of responders estimated that cases required additional examinations and follow-up visits were less than 25%, while 30.72% estimated these cases to be 25-50% and 14.38% to 50-70%.
In children over 12 months, 53.02% of responders estimated that cases required additional examinations and follow-up visits were less than 25%, while 26.85% estimated these cases to be 25-50% and 8.72% to 50-70%.
High rates of follow-up visits and additional examinations highlight RSV's prolonged impact on primary care and community practices. As the RSV burden is predominantly estimated using data from hospital facilities, where strain and associated costs are more readily monitored, many healthcare systems lack mechanisms to assess the situation within primary care and community settings. This oversight leaves the burden on these frontline providers largely unrecognized and unquantified.
Comparing current RSV trends with previous seasons helps identify shifts in prevalence and severity, aiding in developing prevention models and adaptive strategies. We asked the physicians to compare the current season's observed number of bronchiolitis or pneumonia cases and severe episodes with the previous one.
In children aged 6-12 months, about half (47.37%) of the responders estimated that cases this season have increased (30.92% slightly higher and 16.45% significantly higher). 26.32% reported that incidents of bronchiolitis or pneumonia in their practice were about the same as the previous season.
Similarly, in children over 12 months, half (48.32%) of the responders estimated that cases this season have increased (34.23% slightly higher and 14.09% significantly higher). 28.86% reported that incidents of bronchiolitis or pneumonia in their practice were about the same as in the previous season.
