Using hospital records to find serious infections that start during a hospital stay
Electronic Surveillance for Hospital-Onset Sepsis to Expand Detection of Serious Healthcare-Associated Infections
A computer-based method uses routine hospital records to spot serious infections that begin during inpatient care for hospitalized patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Canton, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11144398 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
When infections start during a hospital stay they are often missed by current tracking systems that rely on manual review. This project applies CDC’s hospital-onset Adult Sepsis Event rules to routine electronic clinical data—like blood culture orders and new antibiotic treatment—to flag serious hospital-acquired infections. The team will compare the electronic flags to existing reporting to identify cases that are currently overlooked and to reduce variability in detection. The focus includes infections not routinely tracked today, such as hospital-acquired pneumonia and non–line-associated bloodstream infections.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Hospitalized patients who develop possible infections during their stay—such as those with blood cultures ordered or who start a new course of antibiotics—are the primary group this work targets.
Not a fit: People who are not hospitalized or whose infections were already present at the time of admission are unlikely to be included or directly helped by this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to earlier and more complete detection of serious hospital-acquired infections so patients receive faster care and hospitals can improve safety.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work using electronic health records and CDC’s Adult Sepsis Event definition has shown promise for identifying serious infections, but applying it broadly to expand routine hospital infection surveillance is still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Canton, UNITED STATES
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, INC. — Canton, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rhee, Chanu — Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, INC.
- Study coordinator: Rhee, Chanu
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.