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Quality Improvement in Infection Control and Sepsis Management in Model Regions

Not Applicable
Conditions
R57.2
R65.1
Septic shock
Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome of infectious origin with organ failure
Registration Number
DRKS00009250
Lead Sponsor
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung Dienstsitz Berlin
Brief Summary

Background: Sepsis is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in hospitals. This study presents the evaluation of a quality collaborative, which aimed to decrease sepsis-related hospital mortality. Methods: The German Quality Network Sepsis (GQNS) offers quality reporting based on claims data, peer reviews, and support for establishing continuous quality management and staff education. This study evaluates the effects of participating in the GQNS during the intervention period (April 2016–June 2018) in comparison to a retrospective baseline (January 2014–March 2016). The primary outcome was all-cause risk-adjusted hospital mortality among cases with sepsis. Sepsis was identified by International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes in claims data. A controlled time series analysis was conducted to analyze changes from the baseline to the intervention period comparing GQNS hospitals with the population of all German hospitals assessed via the national diagnosis-related groups (DRGs)-statistics. Tests were conducted using piecewise hierarchical models. Implementation processes and barriers were assessed by surveys of local leaders of quality improvement teams. Results: Seventy-four hospitals participated, of which 17 were university hospitals and 18 were tertiary care facilities. Observed mortality was 43.5% during baseline period and 42.7% during intervention period. Interrupted time-series analyses did not show effects on course or level of risk-adjusted mortality of cases with sepsis compared to the national DRG-statistics after the beginning of the intervention period (p = 0.632 and p = 0.512, respectively). There was no significant mortality decrease in the subgroups of patients with septic shock or ventilation >24 h or predefined subgroups of hospitals. A standardized survey among 49 local quality improvement leaders in autumn of 2018 revealed that most hospitals did not succeed in implementing a continuous quality management program or relevant measures to improve early recognition and treatment of sepsis. Barriers perceived most commonly were lack of time (77.6%), staff shortage (59.2%), and lack of participation of relevant departments (38.8%). Conclusion: As long as hospital-wide sepsis quality improvement efforts will not become a high priority for the hospital leadership by assuring adequate resources and involvement of all pertinent stakeholders, voluntary initiatives to improve the quality of sepsis care will remain prone to failure.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
Complete
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
77
Inclusion Criteria

Hospitals with intensive care unit (participants of the trial are hospitals, not patients!)

Exclusion Criteria

Hospitals without intensive care units

Study & Design

Study Type
interventional
Study Design
Not specified
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
standardized mortality ratio (i.e. ratio of actual to expected mortality) of patients with sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock for each participating hospital, analysed every 3 months by §21-dataset
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
same as primary end point but in relation to German average
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