Telemedicine for Early Treatment of Sepsis

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that is a leading cause of death in US hospitals and for which early aggressive care can improve survival. Despite decades of quality improvement initiatives and quality measure development, providing guideline-adherent care has proven difficult, especially in small and low-volume facilities. Telemedicine provides a promising strategy to provide clinical expertise at the bedside to improve screening and treatment and to standardize care. Telemedicine networks have focused on clinical monitoring of inpatient floors, critical care units, and emergency departments, and telemedicine-supplemented care may improve care and documentation for patients with sepsis. This chapter reviews critical elements to the design and operation of a telemedicine program focused on sepsis care, including staffing, quality improvement, and protocol development.