Improving the quality of care for patients with sepsis in the context of an emergency service

Abstract

Objective: To describe the process of implementing a participatory and multifaceted intervention to improve sepsis care and its effects on improving the quality of care. Materials and methods: This is a before-after quasi-experimental study conducted in 2017/2018 in the emergency service of a hospital in Northeast Brazil. The quality of care of 564 patients diagnosed with sepsis was assessed using nine process criteria and one result criterion. The intervention was participatory and multifaceted, being applied for 10 months. Results: After the intervention, the number of non-conformities decreased by 67% (843 vs 506), and all 10 criteria improved, with a significant improvement (p<0.05) in eight of them. Lethality decreased by 10% (p=0.005). Conclusion: The intervention model presented was effective in improving the quality of care for sepsis in the emergency service, with the possibility of scaling up its use in Brazilian hospitals.