Digital Alerts for Sepsis: a Qualitative Study

NCT05741801 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 16347
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 39
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Sepsis is a serious disease, most often caused by a bacterial infection, and can be treated with antibiotics. Identifying patients with sepsis as early as possible means treatment with antibiotics can be started earlier. To identify patients who may have sepsis, measurements such as high or low temperature and fast breathing rate are used to create a score showing the possibility of sepsis. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in hospitals contain the information needed to create a score and can alert a doctor or nurse that a patient may have sepsis. Research has shown that more patients get antibiotics earlier because of hospitals using this type of digital alert. Different hospitals have used different methods to create a score and use different types of digital alerts. This research wants to find out what hospital doctors and nurses think about digital alerts for sepsis and how they use them. The investigators also want to find out what patients who have had sepsis think about hospitals using these digital alerts. Understanding how these digital alerts are used and how they affect patient care can help see how they could be used better so patients can benefit.

Conditions

Sepsis

Keywords

digital alerts; NHS England hospitals; emergency departments; electronic patients records; outreach teams; decision support systems; patient deterioration scores; antibiotics administration

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• In-depth, one-to-one, semi-structured interviews [or focus groups] on views and experience on sepsis digital alerts

  The views and experiences of healthcare professionals and patients/family members on sepsis/deteriorating patient alert systems in hospitals is analysed, as well as on general identification and management of sepsis.

  June 2023

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Observations on use on sepsis digital alerts within the hospital digital system

  June 2023

Study Arms (2)

health care professionals

Hospital healthcare professionals who use, or help implement, deteriorating patient/sepsis alerts in NHS trusts.

Other: interviews

ex-patients/survivors and family members/carers

Ex-patients recruited from NHS trusts and other charities, who have previously had sepsis or family members of patients who have had sepsis.

Other: interviews

Interventions

interviews OTHER

observations of healthcare professionals working in hospitals (outreach/sepsis team), one-on-one interviews with healthcare professionals, and focus groups or interviews with ex-patients/family members.

Also known as: focus groups, observations

ex-patients/survivors and family members/carers; health care professionals

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 80 Years
• Sex: all
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants will include hospital healthcare professionals and ex-patients/family members in the UK. The sample size will depend on saturation, i.e. no new themes are identified in data from later interviews/focus groups, however it is estimated that around 30 healthcare professionals and 20 patients/family members will participate. Analysis of data from the interviews and the focus groups will occur concurrently to data collection, where possible, to inform future sampling and data collection.

You may qualify if:

• Healthcare Professionals
• Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study.
• Any gender aged 18 years or above (no upper age limit).
• Fluent in English (or able to participate in an interview with other measures in place, e.g. interpreter).
• Currently working as a healthcare professional (e.g. doctor, nurse) in an NHS hospital trust.
• Ex-Patients and Family Member
• Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study.
• Any gender aged 18 years or above (no upper age limit).
• Fluent in English (or able to participate in an interview with other measures in place, e.g. interpreter).
• Member of the public who has previously been diagnosed with sepsis and treated in hospital or family member/carer of someone who has previously had sepsis.

You may not qualify if:

• The participant may not enter the study if ANY of the following apply:
• Healthcare professional has less than 3 months experience working in relevant role. This is estimated to be a reasonable amount of time for them to have good experience of identifying patients with sepsis and/or using sepsis alert systems.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Oxford: lead
• Institute of Cancer Research, United Kingdom: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Oxford

Oxford, United Kingdom

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Lazzarino R, Borek AJ, Brent AJ, Welch J, Honeyford K, Daniels R, Kinderlerer A, Cooke G, Patil S, Gordon A, Goodman P, Glampson B, Ghazal P, Costelloe C, Tonkin-Crine S. The sepsis journey and where digital alerts can help: a qualitative, interview study with survivors and family members in England. Front Public Health. 2025 Mar 26;13:1521761. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1521761. eCollection 2025.

  PMID: 40231176 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Sepsis; Emergencies

Interventions

Interviews as Topic; Focus Groups; Watchful Waiting

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Infections; Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome; Inflammation; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Disease Attributes

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Data Collection; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Public Health; Environment and Public Health; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; Health Services Administration

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 31, 2023
• First Posted: February 23, 2023
• Study Start: November 4, 2022
• Primary Completion: July 17, 2023
• Study Completion: July 17, 2023
• Last Updated: August 28, 2024

Record last verified: 2023-01

Locations

GB (1)