Cutting-edge sepsis dashboard halves mortality rates, shortens patient stays

In the world of medicine, time can be the ultimate enemy. When it comes to sepsis -- a life-threatening condition that often spirals into fatal septic shock -- every second counts.

For many, sepsis is already well underway by the time it is diagnosed. If detected late, septic shock can set in, increasing a patient's mortality rate by 7 percent with each passing hour.

With mortality rates for septic shock ranging between 30 to 40 percent, diagnosing and treating it early can mean the difference between life and death.

"As you start to catch it earlier, you can investigate it earlier. All that starts with early intervention."

Unlike a traumatic injury, such as a broken bone, sepsis is not as easily spotted when a patient arrives at an emergency department. But a first-of-its-kind sepsis dashboard at AdventHealth has taken detection to a new level, placing the hospital system in the top decile for quality sepsis care in the U.S.

"No one wears 'sepsis' across their forehead when they walk in," said Daniel Peach, AdventHealth's executive director of clinical innovation. "From a pathophysiological approach, there's a chemical cascade that happens. As you start to catch it earlier, you can investigate it earlier. All that starts with early intervention."

Instead of relying on months-old, pre-filtered data from past sepsis cases, AdventHealth's clinical innovation teams developed the dashboard to serve as a real-time tool to help clinicians earlier identify the necessary practice changes to improve survival rates among sepsis patients.

AdventHealth has treated almost 149,000 sepsis patients across the country since the dashboard was launched in 2022.

The results speak for themselves: Mortality rates have been halved, and the average length of stay has decreased by a full day for each patient.

Sepsis can be triggered by any infection in the body, including from a urinary tract infection, pneumonia or an abdominal issue. If the infection spreads or releases toxins into the bloodstream, the immune system overreacts, causing widespread inflammation.

During septic shock, blood pressure drops dangerously low, increasing the risk of organ failure.

Sepsis is typically treated using antibiotics, fluids or blood pressure-supporting medications to provide the body ample care and ensure that the immune system does not further weaken, which could cause additional complications.

The sepsis dashboard provides valuable data, including patient demographics and details about each patient's individualized care journey.

When did the infection occur? When were the antibiotics administered? Which protocol was the most effective? The dashboard answers those questions and more, complete with a traffic-light system that visually flags patients' potential for sepsis and a health equity landing page to give clinicians a comprehensive view that informs their care.

But the dashboard is more than a tool used for tracking outcomes -- it's a catalyst for change, promoting thoughtful, patient-centered care. It enables AdventHealth's more than 50 hospitals to compare their performance with one another while also adopting best practices.

Trained sepsis coordinators are also placed on these teams to analyze the data.

"It's a very active approach," Peach said. "We have weekly meetings with our medical staff where we start to define where areas are going wrong. It becomes a cycle of continuous improvement, enhancing the cultural change from within."

The dashboard's success has sparked further innovation, with teams now exploring how similar dashboards could be implemented for other conditions, such as chest pain and pneumonia.

"Sepsis is systematic -- it's smoke and fire," Peach said. "As a clinician, you have two choices: You could either remain silent and see if a fire starts, or you can tell people you smell smoke. It might be someone's burnt toast, but pulling the alarm could save everyone's life."