Our key question is - How effective is the introduction of digital alerts in terms of improving outcomes of patients with sepsis?

In order to answer this we have four key objectives:


Map the digital alerts currently in use in multiple UK hospitals to identify patients at risk of having sepsis
The team will use a range of methods to understand which underlying algorithms are used in different Trusts to identify patients at risk of sepsis. We will also explore workflow and how the alerts were introduced.

Evaluate the impact of digital alerts on outcomes for patients at risk of sepsis
The introduction of alerts in hospitals can be seen as a series of natural experiments. We will use a variety of statistical approaches to assess the impact of the digital alerts on patient outcomes and use approaches including multi-level interrupted time series. The primary outcome will be in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes will include administration of IV-antibiotics, length of stay and transfer to intensive care. We will examine unintended outcomes associated with the alerts.

Explore the implementation of digital alerts across contexts and the impact of these on digital alert performance.
A range of qualitative approaches, including interviews and focus groups, will allow us to examine the implementation process and its impact on digital alert performance

Make recommendations on the effectiveness of different digital alerts and the most effective method of implementation.
Qualitative and quantitative findings will be brought together in a mediation analysis.