A new study recently published in Critical Care Medicine, co-authored by BC Children's Hospital investigator Dr. Tex Kissoon, has shown that the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council (BCPSQC)'s investment in the BC Sepsis Network (BCSN) has led to savings of $50.6 million, representing a return of over $112 for every dollar invested.
In 2017, sepsis led to 1 in every 5 deaths globally. Communities that face inequities in access to and quality of care bear a disproportionate burden of sepsis mortality and morbidity, and Canada is no exception. Sepsis is challenging to diagnosis, yet early identification and rapid administration of key supportive measures are needed to ensure the best outcomes with sepsis. Sepsis screening tools and sepsis protocols can support health workers with identifying and treating sepsis, and are most effective when implemented as part of quality improvement (QI) initiatives. In 2012, the BCPQSC launched to BCSN to support province-wide implementation of such an initiative. From 2014-2018, the study's authors estimate that:
- A total of 981 in-hospital sepsis cases were prevented in BC.
- 172 people were prevented from dying from sepsis.
- A reduction of cases and deaths contributed to societal savings of approximately $51 million.
- Every $1 invested by the Ministry of Health into the BCPSQC to lead this work resulted in $112.50 in savings to the health care system.
As of 2020, the BCSN has grown to over 36 hospitals, including 300 members, and has diverse representation, including patient partners, allied healthcare staff, physicians, QI experts, and hospital administrators - constituting the largest and most active interconnected sepsis community within Canada. The BSCN focuses on improving the diagnosis and management of early severe infections which lead to sepsis, as well as treating sepsis and septic shock, through the use of protocols that ensure rapid diagnostic tests are performed and timely therapies are delivered.
"We hope our work can serve as a model of care for other provinces in Canada and elsewhere," said Dr. Kissoon, an investigator with BC Children's Hospital, executive medical director of Children's & Women's Global Health, professor of pediatrics at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and president of the Global Sepsis Alliance.
This unique study highlighted the efficacy of a province-wide QI initiative aiming to educate a large number of health workers in early identification and management of sepsis in BC. The results show the degree to which sepsis care has improved in BC as well as how the province compares to the rest of Canada, with BC outperforming the rest of the country in every metric examined in the study. The success of the BCSN demonstrates the critical role of organizations with a provincial mandate in driving change at scale, and the need for further action and investment in QI and sepsis educational programs across Canada and internationally.
"These results show what can happen when clinicians who are passionate about improving the quality of care they provide are brought together and supported to lead that work within their organizations," said Dr. David Sweet, a critical care physician at Vancouver General Hospital, sepsis clinical lead for the British Columbia Patient Safety & Quality Council, Chair of the BC Sepsis Network and COVID Therapeutics Committee and clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia and senior author of the publication. "I'm so proud of our sepsis network members whose hard work has made such an impact for British Columbians and transformed our province into a national and global leader in caring for sepsis."
