How To Improve Sepsis Diagnosis And Outcomes Through Innovative Healthcare Analytics

Each year in the United States, approximately 200,000 people die from sepsis: systemic inflammation caused by severe infection. Sepsis affects more than 750,000 hospitalized patients and results in 570,000 emergency department visits per year).(1)

It affects not only patient health outcomes but also the overall cost of care. The average length of stay (LOS) for patients hospitalized for septicemia or sepsis is 75 percent longer than for those hospitalized for other conditions.(2) In fact, of all inpatient conditions covered by every payer, septicemia has proved to be the most expensive. Treating patients with septicemia cost $20.3 billion in 2011, representing 5.2 percent of total inpatient costs.(3)

The public health magnitude of sepsis is clear. National and international public health organizations have developed programs to define sepsis and advocate improved care. The most notable of these is the Surviving Sepsis Campaign.(4)