What Are We Measuring?
If the body’s usual defense mechanisms are overwhelmed by an infection, Sepsis occurs. Every hour, around 1,000 people die from Sepsis worldwide. If diagnosed and treated in the first hour following presentation with sepsis, a patient has more than an 80% survival rate, and after the sixth hour, a patient has about a 30% chance of surviving. Lives can be saved with rapid recognition of sepsis and then treatment without delay.
How Are We Performing?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have a measure called the Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock Early Management Bundle (SEP-1) which requires hospitals to follow a series of time-sensitive treatments and tests for patients with sepsis. The goal is to meet those requirements 100% of the time; higher scores are better. The graph below reflects data publicly released in January 2023 for a selected period of time. Learn more by visiting Medicare.gov Care Compare.
What Are We Doing to Improve?
Hendricks Regional Health has a standing interprofessional committee dedicated to best practice sepsis care. Committee members participate in community outreach to educate the public on the importance being seen in a healthcare setting as soon as signs of sepsis appear. Healthcare teams across the organization receive ongoing education which prepares caregivers to recognize sepsis as early as possible. In addition, while in the hospital, the electronic health record continually picks up on patient results that could be a cause for concern in developing sepsis and alerts caregivers so they may take action. Sepsis order sets and routine screening processes are based on best practices and specially-trained nurses examine cases in real-time during a hospital stay to assure treatments are in place.
Learn More
We encourage patients and family members to use many of the different resources available to compare and choose a hospital or healthcare provider. Examples include Medicare.gov Care Compare and Leapfrog Ratings as well as talking with your doctor.