(PUEBLO, Colo.) — UCHealth Parkview Medical Center and Parkview Pueblo West Hospitals are implementing one of the nation’s most advanced sepsis monitoring programs that can reduce sepsis-related deaths.
On Monday, Sept. 16, UCHealth announced it had added virtual sepsis monitoring to UCHealth Parkview Medical Center and Parkview Pueblo West Hospital. The virtual sepsis program operates out of UCHealth’s Virtual Health Center (VHC) and uses artificial intelligence tools and specialized VHC nurses to monitor sepsis indicators around the clock.
Sepsis is the third most common cause of death in hospitals in the U.S., and it is a life-threatening condition that surges when the body’s response to infection causes injury to tissues and organs, the condition leads to a rapid drop in blood pressure and requires prompt and precise treatment.
Treating sepsis quickly can save a life. Giving a patient antibiotics one hour sooner can improve a person’s survival rate by 10%.
If a patient meets the criteria for sepsis, VHC nurses activate a sepsis alert by notifying bedside nursing and provider teams to quickly order treatment.
“Virtual monitoring for sepsis is a game-changer for our patients,” said Maggie Welte, UCHealth
Parkview chief nursing officer. “By utilizing this advanced technology, we can detect sepsis
earlier and respond more swiftly, saving lives and improving patient outcomes. This program
reflects our dedication to delivering exceptional care.”
The virtual sepsis program has provided an extra layer of safety across UCHealth systems since 2018. UCHealth said the program, which analyzes more than 2,000 patients per day at 12 Colorado hospitals, was estimated to have saved more than 1,000 lives last year alone.
“The key to improving safety for our patients is having AI algorithms and our VHC nurses and
physicians constantly monitoring patients’ vital signs over a long period of time. When a change
in their temperature or blood pressure is identified, we can act immediately to alert the patient’s
bedside care team,” said Amy Hassell, chief nursing officer at UCHealth’s Virtual Health Center.
UCHealth also said the program, in partnership with patients’ in-person care teams, has led to fewer transfers to intensive care, shorter hospital stays, improved outcomes, and reduced mortality.
Sepsis has been detected an average of two hours earlier, and the average time to administer antibiotics has decreased from 90 minutes to 27. However, Dr. James Caldwell, chief medical officer of UCHealth Parkview, emphasized VHS is designed to support, not replace bedside care.
