Client Project

Western Sydney LHD - Custom Cerner EMR ED Sepsis Solution

Client Need

Design a custom solution to easily identify potential sepsis patients and improve time to treatment (door-to-antibiotic KPI) in the Emergency Department.

Our Approach

Checkley designed a custom EMR solution incorporating an early alert system to detect patients presenting to ED with potential sepsis.

The design triggers clinical decision support (CDS) at several key points in the patient journey for the ED Triage Nurse & ED Medical Officers, ensuring patients with potential sepsis are identified and treated as per clinical guidelines as soon as possible. 

Outcomes

Implemented across five Emergency Departments, our solution:

• Improved early detection of sepsis at ED Triage
• Improved compliance with appropriate laboratory investigations for sepsis
• Improved door-to-antibiotic (KPI) times for sepsis patients in the ED

A 3-month post implementation analysis demonstrated a 75% sensitivity of the alert system and 99% specificity; this compares with clinician gestalt using the CEC sepsis pathway: sensitivity 45% and specificity 79%; a significant improvement for patient safety.