Penn Nursing Study Improves Outcomes For Sepsis Patients

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) has collaborated with the Center for Home Care Policy & Research at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York on a national study that shows that a combination of early home health nursing and at least one outpatient physician visit in the first week after hospital discharge reduces the risk of 30-day hospital readmission for sepsis patients by seven percent.

According to eurekalert.org, more than 1 million sepsis survivors are discharged annually from acute care hospitals in the United States. Sepsis survivors account for a majority of hospital readmissions nationwide and effective interventions are needed to decrease these poor outcomes. The study concluded that a combination of home nursing visits and early physician follow-up facilitates a coordinated care plan and early surveillance for new or recurrent problems.

Kathryn Bowles, PhD, FAAN, FACMI, van Ameringen Chair in Nursing Excellence, and the study’s co-principal investigator, tells eurekalert.org, “Our findings support integrated care management, including scheduling physician follow-up before discharge rather than recommending that patients schedule their own follow-up, as well as a clear communication that this is a sepsis survivor so HHC can activate early attention. If translated nationally, this operational strategy could complement national and state initiatives to improve the acute and PAC outcomes of sepsis survivors. Our study revealed much room for improvement as only 28.1% of sepsis survivors transitioned to HHC received this intervention.”

To learn more about Penn Nursing’s collaboration on a national study of hospital readmissions due to sepsis, visit here.