Study Information Sheet

Researchers: Rhonda Stuart, Neil Goldie, Carlos Scheinkestel, Tony Korman

Background: Sepsis claims the lives of more patients than cancer, and it occurs more frequently than heart attacks. A recent study identified a significant upward trend in sepsis in Victoria with a mortality rate of 18.4%. At Monash Health, sepsis-related episodes rose by 25% from 2014 to 2016. While the mortality rate dropped over the period 2014-16 to 11.6% the number of deaths from sepsis has remained about the same. Overall, sepsis and sepsis management are causes for concern. International and national guidelines bring together best practice evidence pertinent to severe sepsis recognition and treatment, including: enhancing clinician skills in sepsis recognition and management; more timely, standardised and effective detection and management of sepsis; reduced mortality, morbidity and bed stays from sepsis related conditions, and improved experience, and quality and safety of care. However there is a dearth of advice about how to intervene in the behavioural dimensions of clinical practice around sepsis.

This project will generate findings at four levels:

• enhanced awareness of sepsis risk and management among participants
• generalized vignettes for educational and training purposes in the treatment and management of sepsis
• improved sepsis response and management behaviors, and
• rising sepsis survival rates.

The Project
During this study we will be asking medical and nursing staff to allow us to interview them. The interview will take less than 30 minutes at a convenient time and place. The interview will involve questions about their views in, and experiences of, care of patients identified as septic. We will ask for anecdotes of how staff perceive the management
of sepsis including what has gone right and what has gone wrong. Themes developed from these interviews will be collated and fed back to the treating teams. Issues identified from these interviews will be used to develop a Monash Sepsis education and management program that will include health professionals’ practices, awareness and self-steered improvement. The interviews will be audio-recorded. All information gained from these interviews will be de-identified and will remain confidential. As a thank you for participating, a free lunch from Nesso is being offered. Any staff involved in the management of sepsis, from intern to SMS are welcome to participate.

For more information please contact:
Rebecca Pich, Research Nurse, Sepsis
Monday, Wednesday, Friday (5 days a fortnight)
T: 0402 776 267 E: rebecca.pich@monashhealth.org

This project has been approved as a Low Risk project by Monash Health Ethics Committee