Preventing Sepsis: What Can Healthcare Organisations Do?

Sepsis, a life-threatening condition triggered by the body's extreme response to infection, poses a significant threat to public health globally.

Research revealed that in 2017 alone, there were approximately 48.9 million sepsis cases, resulting in over 11 million deaths worldwide. This staggering toll accounted for nearly 20% of all deaths. Equally concerning is the fact that almost half of these cases occurred in children under the age of five, resulting in an estimated 2.9 million deaths in this vulnerable age group. The burden of sepsis disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries, where around 85% of sepsis cases and related deaths are concentrated.

Further, according to a recent meta-analysis, there are around 3 million neonatal sepsis cases per year. This means 2,824 cases per 100,000 live births. 84% OF those are preventable.

This blog focuses on the critical importance of preventing sepsis and the role of early detection and treatment, highlighting processes and systems that healthcare institutions can implement to avoid infections and save lives.

Patient Education

Depending on the country and education, sepsis is known only to 7-50% of the people. Most people are unaware that vaccination and clean care can significantly reduce sepsis mortality, even by up to 50%. This lack of education and knowledge is what makes sepsis the number one preventable cause of death worldwide.

Healthcare workers can educate the patient and their family by explaining what sepsis actually is, the causes, risk factors, signs and symptoms, how to take care of wounds to prevent infections, and the importance of antibiotics, vaccinations, treatment, and follow-up care. This can also be done through brochures, pamphlets, videos, and community education programs.

Infection Control

Infection control is the cornerstone of sepsis prevention. However, in Europe alone, approximately 80,000 hospitalised patients are believed to have at least one healthcare-associated infection daily, leading to 16 million additional hospitalisation days each year. Similarly, in the US, HAIs account for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year.

In 2022, the commitment of G7 health ministers and leaders to advance sepsis prevention, alongside efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance and enhance infection prevention and control programs, marks a significant stride in the battle against sepsis in Europe. WHO has also collaborated closely with Member States and partners to elevate the standards of infection and sepsis prevention and treatment in Europe.

Healthcare facilities must have stringent infection control protocols in place, including hand hygiene, proper sterilisation of equipment and medical devices, and strict adherence to aseptic techniques during medical procedures to prevent sepsis. Organisations must also establish rigorous cleaning and disinfection protocols for patient rooms, equipment, and common areas.

Apart from this, when performed regularly, infection prevention and control audits help organisations establish a governance process and identify issues, trends, and areas for improvement. This data can then be used to drive continuous quality improvement and reduce the rate of HAIs.

Antibiotic Stewardship

While prompt initiation of antibiotics to treat infections prevents sepsis and saves lives, 30% of all antibiotics prescribed in U.S. acute care hospitals are either unnecessary or suboptimal.

Antibiotics have serious adverse effects, occurring in roughly 20% of hospitalised patients. Patients unnecessarily exposed to antibiotics are at risk for these adverse events with no benefit. The misuse of antibiotics has also contributed to antibiotic resistance, a serious threat to public health.

Antibiotic Stewardship Programs (ASPs) can help clinicians improve clinical outcomes and prevent the development of antibiotic-resistant infections. Healthcare providers should prescribe antibiotics judiciously, based on clinical guidelines and cultures, and avoid overuse or misuse. It is also important that patients receive the correct dosage and duration of treatment.

Check out MEG's Digital System to efficiently track and report antibiotic use here.

Early Detection

While vaccination, proper hygiene, and emergency treatment play crucial roles in preventing sepsis, early detection remains paramount in reducing its devastating effects.

The statistics and real-world examples we explored in this blog underscore the pressing need for action. With millions of lives hanging in the balance and the burden of sepsis disproportionately impacting vulnerable communities and low-income countries, implementing a system that strengthens early detection, diagnosis, and treatment protocols in every organisation is an absolute necessity.

Early Warning Systems:

The Early Warning Score (EWS) is a physiological scoring system based on signs like core body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, etc., used to evaluate the level of a patient’s clinical deterioration.

This system can be used by healthcare staff to identify patients at risk of sepsis, trigger a clinical assessment, and provide timely care in the form of antibiotic therapy, IV fluids, and addressing the underlying source of infection.

EWS systems also facilitate documentation and communication among healthcare teams. They provide a standardised way to communicate a patient's deterioration or potential sepsis risk, ensuring that appropriate actions are taken promptly.

MEG's Deteriorating Patient Bundle

To help organisations with their quality assurance process for patient deterioration, we've put together a collection of assessments and audit tools, including various Early Warning Score forms such as standard, paediatric, maternity, and emergency medicine, each tailored to specific patient populations. The bundle also includes associated escalation pathways following the ISBAR model.

These are governance audits that organisations can use to ensure that their processes are working as designed and that staff are following the necessary protocol to prevent patient deterioration and the likelihood of events such as sepsis.

It also comes with a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) tool to identify and address any issues or gaps in the assurance process. Here's a glimpse into what the system looks like:

To know how MEG’s Patient Deterioration Bundle can help your organisation, get in touch.

Does Your Organisation Need a Digital Healthcare Document Management System?

This blog post is the first in the series "Healthcare Document Management Systems: Everything You Need To Know" — a comprehensive guide where we discuss the importance of document management in healthcare, the benefits of a modern solution, must-have features, compare different solutions on the market, and more.

In today's dynamic healthcare landscape, where compliance, efficiency, and data-driven decision-making are paramount, a streamlined document management system is no longer just a convenience — it's a necessity.

The last few decades have witnessed an exponential rise in the volume and complexity of healthcare documents, from patient records to compliance policies, research findings, and administrative paperwork. With other facets of healthcare continuing their digital transformation journey, traditional document management methods, often reliant on paper-based systems, are revealing their limitations with increasing clarity.

In this piece, we'll delve into the importance of efficient document management in healthcare, explore the intrinsic challenges posed by traditional paper-based systems, and discuss the transformative capabilities of modern electronic document management systems and how they address the inadequacies of their conventional counterparts.

Why Is Efficient Document Management Important in Healthcare?

Healthcare providers deal with an overwhelming amount of data on a day-to-day basis. Ensuring that this data is accurate, up-to-date, easily accessible, and secure is key to maintaining a high standard of patient care. That's where a document management system comes in.

An efficient document management system is the backbone of quality management and helps healthcare providers systematically create, store, organise, retrieve, and distribute documents. This enables:

1. Timely decision-making: An organised and updated digital document management system allows healthcare providers to access necessary records and documents with just a few clicks. This rapid access to information is invaluable in helping them make informed decisions and provide timely care, particularly in emergencies.

2. Better collaboration: A document management system acts as a centralised platform where multiple staff can simultaneously review, update, and share policies, operating procedures, clinical guidelines, and more. This fosters seamless collaboration and is particularly valuable for interdisciplinary care.

3. Effective incident and risk management: Accurately documented procedures and protocols serve as a guiding compass for healthcare providers, offering a clear direction in navigating adverse events or even averting them altogether.

4. Enhanced data security: Healthcare policy and compliance documentation often contain sensitive information. A secure and effective document management system with access controls and encryption measures allows organisations to safeguard confidential documents from unauthorised access and cyberattacks.

5. Efficient staff training: New and existing healthcare staff require proper training on the various policies and procedures of the organisation. A well-organised document management system facilitates efficient staff onboarding, training, and ongoing education by providing easy access to relevant documents.

The Shortcomings of Traditional Paper-Based Document Management Systems

While paper-based policy and document management systems have been the norm for decades, they have several shortcomings that hinder efficiency, compliance, and patient care, especially in today's complex and rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. Some of them include:

1. Limited accessibility: Paper-based systems demand staff have physical access to the documents, making policy retrieval a challenge, especially during an emergency. Even then, searching through files or email threads to find a specific policy within such a system is akin to finding a needle in a haystack, wasting precious time and hindering decision-making and patient care.

2. Delayed updates: Since updating policies on paper involves printing and distributing physical copies to staff, conveying policies in real-time becomes a challenge. Often, documents may be incorrectly filed, have multiple versions, or simply be lost. This results in outdated practices, non-compliance with healthcare regulations, version discrepancies, and confusion among staff.

3. Limited collaboration: Collaborative policy development and review processes are hindered by paper-based systems, making it challenging for multiple stakeholders to contribute and provide feedback effectively.

4. Security risks: Physical documents are significantly more susceptible to unauthorised access, increasing the risk of a data breach. They are also much more vulnerable to damage or loss due to factors like accidents and environmental hazards.

5. Poor integration: Paper-based document management systems do not allow providers to link policies to related audits, incidents, training logs, or patient surveys. This, in turn, leads to data silos and inefficient workflows.

6. Storage: Storing and organising a large volume of paper documents requires a considerable amount of storage space, which isn't always readily available. Apart from this, they contribute to environmental concerns through paper waste, resource consumption, and increased carbon footprint.

MEG's Digital Healthcare Document Management System: The Future

Replacing existing paper-based or legacy document management systems with a digital solution allows healthcare organisations to overcome the above challenges with ease. The efficiency, accessibility, security, and adaptability of a future-forward document management software empowers providers to maintain compliance and promote patient safety while simultaneously optimising their operations.

A digital platform like MEG offers healthcare staff a seamless conduit to access policy documents instantaneously, regardless of their physical location. In an industry like healthcare, where quick decision-making is a matter of life or death, this feature is invaluable. Designed for interdisciplinary collaboration, the software offers real-time updates, notifications, remote access, advanced security protocols, and integration with other quality management tools.

Discover more by booking a demo today!

See you at the HSJ Patient Safety Congress in Manchester

After a short summer hiatus from events, we are back on the road next month and our first stop is the HSJ Patient Safety Congress in Manchester on 18th & 19th September. The theme for this year is ‘Facing Reality: Honest Conversations About Safety’.

This is our first year to attend and exhibit at this event and we are so looking forward to joining more than 40 fellow exhibitors and over 1,000 safety, quality and clinical excellence professionals for 2 days of connecting and learning together.

Now in its 16th year, this year’s agenda looks to ‘tackle the practical challenges of safety in today’s pressurised environment, offering a toolkit for leaders, managers and front-line clinicians to manage safety and drive improvement’.

Visit the MEG team at stand 11 to learn more about our LFPSE compliant Incident Reporting and Patient Safety module. Our Patient Safety module provides Incident and Risk Management tools for healthcare workers with a learning mindset. We're already making an impact in hospitals and healthcare systems around the world. With our new LFPSE-compliant integration, NHS organisations - large and small - now have a credible alternative to their incumbent Incident Reporting & Risk Management Systems. See our modules and our full Quality Management System app in action and view the impressive dashboards and reports our clients benefit from.

The Congress will also feature new elements this year including;

• More practitioners on the programme and lighting talks as part of their poster competition

• New ‘Innovation Showcase’ theatre offering more opportunities to discover real-world solutions to pressing patient safety challenges

• A new leadership stream focusing on the art of patient safety leadership to give leaders the tools they need to support their teams

We hope to see you there if you’re attending, or, if you haven’t yet registered you can still do so here.