ID
M202610090759
Pathway
Health Systems Science
Description
Sepsis remains a leading cause of preventable inpatient morbidity and mortality, and timely antibiotic administration is one of the most important determinants of patient outcomes. At UMass Memorial Medical Center, time to first antibiotic administration varies across units and care teams, and the Sepsis CarePath in Epic, designed to standardize early recognition and treatment, appears to be used inconsistently.
This project aims to improve time to first antibiotic administration in the inpatient setting by evaluating how the Sepsis CarePath is currently used. The team will analyze Epic data to compare time to first antibiotic between patients whose care involved the CarePath and those whose care did not, assessing whether CarePath use is associated with faster administration. In parallel, the team will map workflows, survey and interview interdisciplinary team members (nurses, pharmacists, and physicians), and identify root causes such as low awareness, workflow barriers, order-set usability, and delays between order and administration.
Students will contribute to data extraction and analysis, assist with root cause analysis and workflow mapping, help develop intervention tools and Epic-based prompts or education that make CarePath use clearer and easier, and support implementation strategies tailored to individual units. They will also have opportunities to participate in RCA reviews and dissemination efforts.
This project aims to improve time to first antibiotic administration in the inpatient setting by evaluating how the Sepsis CarePath is currently used. The team will analyze Epic data to compare time to first antibiotic between patients whose care involved the CarePath and those whose care did not, assessing whether CarePath use is associated with faster administration. In parallel, the team will map workflows, survey and interview interdisciplinary team members (nurses, pharmacists, and physicians), and identify root causes such as low awareness, workflow barriers, order-set usability, and delays between order and administration.
Students will contribute to data extraction and analysis, assist with root cause analysis and workflow mapping, help develop intervention tools and Epic-based prompts or education that make CarePath use clearer and easier, and support implementation strategies tailored to individual units. They will also have opportunities to participate in RCA reviews and dissemination efforts.
Goals
1. Measure and analyze clinician knowledge gaps in Sepsis CarePath use across high-performing and low-performing units using survey and root-cause methods.
2. Support development of targeted educational materials that reinforce early sepsis recognition, appropriate CarePath initiation, and timely antibiotic ordering, verification, and administration.
3. Assist with unit-level workflow improvements, including strengthening interdisciplinary communication (RN-pharmacist-physician), enhancing discussion of patients at risk for sepsis during rounds, and improving the reliability of escalation and reassessment when sepsis is suspected.
4. Participate in data collection and analysis, including time-to-first-antibiotic trends, comparison of CarePath and non-CarePath use, and evaluation of current-state workflows across RN, pharmacist, charge nurse, and provider roles.
5. Contribute to dissemination, including presentations, educational sessions, and potential scholarly outputs related to Sepsis CarePath use and improvements in time to first antibiotic administration.
2. Support development of targeted educational materials that reinforce early sepsis recognition, appropriate CarePath initiation, and timely antibiotic ordering, verification, and administration.
3. Assist with unit-level workflow improvements, including strengthening interdisciplinary communication (RN-pharmacist-physician), enhancing discussion of patients at risk for sepsis during rounds, and improving the reliability of escalation and reassessment when sepsis is suspected.
4. Participate in data collection and analysis, including time-to-first-antibiotic trends, comparison of CarePath and non-CarePath use, and evaluation of current-state workflows across RN, pharmacist, charge nurse, and provider roles.
5. Contribute to dissemination, including presentations, educational sessions, and potential scholarly outputs related to Sepsis CarePath use and improvements in time to first antibiotic administration.
Mentor
Meghna Trivedi and Robert Le
Mentor E-mail
Meghna.Trivedi@umassmemorial.org Robert.le@umassmemorial.org
Department
Hospital Medicine
Prior Students
New Project
Availability
Yes
Number Spots
4