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Schwarzkopf D, Rüddel H, Brinkmann A, Fleischmann-Struzek C, Friedrich ME, Glas M, Gogoll C, Gründling M, Meybohm P, Pletz MW, Schreiber T, Thomas-Rüddel DO, Reinhart K. The German Quality Network Sepsis: Evaluation of a Quality Collaborative on Decreasing Sepsis-Related Mortality in a Controlled Interrupted Time Series Analysis. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:882340. [PMID: 35573007 PMCID: PMC9094049 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.882340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sepsis is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in hospitals. This study presents the evaluation of a quality collaborative, which aimed to decrease sepsis-related hospital mortality. Methods The German Quality Network Sepsis (GQNS) offers quality reporting based on claims data, peer reviews, and support for establishing continuous quality management and staff education. This study evaluates the effects of participating in the GQNS during the intervention period (April 2016-June 2018) in comparison to a retrospective baseline (January 2014-March 2016). The primary outcome was all-cause risk-adjusted hospital mortality among cases with sepsis. Sepsis was identified by International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes in claims data. A controlled time series analysis was conducted to analyze changes from the baseline to the intervention period comparing GQNS hospitals with the population of all German hospitals assessed via the national diagnosis-related groups (DRGs)-statistics. Tests were conducted using piecewise hierarchical models. Implementation processes and barriers were assessed by surveys of local leaders of quality improvement teams. Results Seventy-four hospitals participated, of which 17 were university hospitals and 18 were tertiary care facilities. Observed mortality was 43.5% during baseline period and 42.7% during intervention period. Interrupted time-series analyses did not show effects on course or level of risk-adjusted mortality of cases with sepsis compared to the national DRG-statistics after the beginning of the intervention period (p = 0.632 and p = 0.512, respectively). There was no significant mortality decrease in the subgroups of patients with septic shock or ventilation >24 h or predefined subgroups of hospitals. A standardized survey among 49 local quality improvement leaders in autumn of 2018 revealed that most hospitals did not succeed in implementing a continuous quality management program or relevant measures to improve early recognition and treatment of sepsis. Barriers perceived most commonly were lack of time (77.6%), staff shortage (59.2%), and lack of participation of relevant departments (38.8%). Conclusion As long as hospital-wide sepsis quality improvement efforts will not become a high priority for the hospital leadership by assuring adequate resources and involvement of all pertinent stakeholders, voluntary initiatives to improve the quality of sepsis care will remain prone to failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schwarzkopf
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Department for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Hendrik Rüddel
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Department for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Alexander Brinkmann
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, General Hospital of Heidenheim, Heidenheim, Germany
| | - Carolin Fleischmann-Struzek
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Michael Glas
- Department for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, KH Labor GmbH, AMEOS Group, Bernburg, Germany
| | - Christian Gogoll
- Outpatient Services, Evangelische Lungenklinik Berlin-Buch, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Gründling
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Patrick Meybohm
- Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, Emergency and Pain Medicine, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Mathias W. Pletz
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Torsten Schreiber
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Zentralklinik Bad Berka, Bad Berka, Germany
| | | | - Konrad Reinhart
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Anesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care Medicine (CCM, CVK), Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Schwarzkopf D, Rüddel H, Gründling M, Putensen C, Reinhart K. The German Quality Network Sepsis: study protocol for the evaluation of a quality collaborative on decreasing sepsis-related mortality in a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences design. Implement Sci 2018; 13:15. [PMID: 29347952 PMCID: PMC5774030 DOI: 10.1186/s13012-017-0706-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While sepsis-related mortality decreased substantially in other developed countries, mortality of severe sepsis remained as high as 44% in Germany. A recent German cluster randomized trial was not able to improve guideline adherence and decrease sepsis-related mortality within the participating hospitals, partly based on lacking support by hospital management and lacking resources for documentation of prospective data. Thus, more pragmatic approaches are needed to improve quality of sepsis care in Germany. The primary objective of the study is to decrease sepsis-related hospital mortality within a quality collaborative relying on claims data. METHOD The German Quality Network Sepsis (GQNS) is a quality collaborative involving 75 hospitals. This study protocol describes the conduction and evaluation of the start-up period of the GQNS running from March 2016 to August 2018. Democratic structures assure participatory action, a study coordination bureau provides central support and resources, and local interdisciplinary quality improvement teams implement changes within the participating hospitals. Quarterly quality reports focusing on risk-adjusted hospital mortality in cases with sepsis based on claims data are provided. Hospitals committed to publish their individual risk-adjusted mortality compared to the German average. A complex risk-model is used to control for differences in patient-related risk factors. Hospitals are encouraged to implement a bundle of interventions, e.g., interdisciplinary case analyses, external peer-reviews, hospital-wide staff education, and implementation of rapid response teams. The effectiveness of the GQNS is evaluated in a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences design by comparing the change of hospital mortality of cases with sepsis with organ dysfunction from a retrospective baseline period (January 2014 to December 2015) and the intervention period (April 2016 to March 2018) between the participating hospitals and all other German hospitals. Structural and process quality indicators of sepsis care as well as efforts for quality improvement are monitored regularly. DISCUSSION The GQNS is a large-scale quality collaborative using a pragmatic approach based on claims data. A complex risk-adjustment model allows valid quality comparisons between hospitals and with the German average. If this study finds the approach to be useful for improving quality of sepsis care, it may also be applied to other diseases. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02820675.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schwarzkopf
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
- Department for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Hendrik Rüddel
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
- Department for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Matthias Gründling
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University, Sauerbruchstraße, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Christian Putensen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Konrad Reinhart
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
- Department for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
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