Effects of Compliance With the Early Management Bundle (SEP-1) on Mortality Changes Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Sepsis: A Propensity Score Matched Cohort Study
Recommended Citation
Townsend SR, Phillips GS, Duseja R, Tefera L, Cruikshank D, Dickerson R, Nguyen HB, Schorr CA, Levy MM, Dellinger RP, Conway WA, Browner WS, and Rivers EP. Effects of Compliance with the Early Management Bundle (SEP-1) on Mortality Changes among Medicare Beneficiaries with Sepsis: A Propensity Score Matched Cohort Study. Chest 2021.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-6-2021
Publication Title
Chest
Abstract
BACKGROUND: US hospitals have reported compliance with the SEP-1 quality measure to Medicare since 2015. Finding an association between compliance and outcomes is essential to gauge measure effectiveness.
RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the association between compliance with SEP-1 and 30-day mortality among Medicare beneficiaries?
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Studying patient-level data reported to Medicare by 3,241 hospitals from October 1, 2015, to March 31, 2017, we used propensity score matching and a hierarchical general linear model (HGLM) to estimate the treatment effects associated with compliance with SEP-1. Compliance was defined as completion of all qualifying SEP-1 elements including lactate measurements, blood culture collection, broad-spectrum antibiotic administration, 30 mL/kg crystalloid fluid administration, application of vasopressors, and patient reassessment. The primary outcome was a change in 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included changes in length of stay.
RESULTS: We completed two matches to evaluate population-level treatment effects. In standard match, 122,870 patients whose care was compliant were matched with the same number whose care was noncompliant. Compliance was associated with a reduction in 30-day mortality (21.81% vs 27.48%, respectively), yielding an absolute risk reduction (ARR) of 5.67% (95% CI, 5.33-6.00; P < .001). In stringent match, 107,016 patients whose care was compliant were matched with the same number whose care was noncompliant. Compliance was associated with a reduction in 30-day mortality (22.22% vs 26.28%, respectively), yielding an ARR of 4.06% (95% CI, 3.70-4.41; P < .001). At the subject level, our HGLM found compliance associated with lower 30-day risk-adjusted mortality (adjusted conditional OR, 0.829; 95% CI, 0.812-0.846; P < .001). Multiple elements correlated with lower mortality. Median length of stay was shorter among cases whose care was compliant (5 vs 6 days; interquartile range, 3-9 vs 4-10, respectively; P < .001).
INTERPRETATION: Compliance with SEP-1 was associated with lower 30-day mortality. Rendering SEP-1 compliant care may reduce the incidence of avoidable deaths.
PubMed ID
34364867
ePublication
ePub ahead of print
