Why doctors treat sepsis differently

Measuring and Learning from Care Variation in Sepsis

NIH-funded research Ihc Health Services, INC. · NIH-11170410

This project looks at patterns in how doctors decide on antibiotics, IV fluids, and hospital care for people with sepsis to help improve outcomes.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionIhc Health Services, INC. NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Murray, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11170410 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

From a patient's perspective, researchers will analyze large sets of hospital records and use computer learning and statistical methods to see how doctors make key sepsis treatment decisions. They will also use interviews and qualitative methods to understand different decision styles. The team will link those decision patterns to different sepsis subtypes and patient outcomes like recovery and survival. By using real variation in care, they hope to identify which treatment approaches work best where evidence is unclear.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People treated for sepsis in emergency departments or hospitals, especially those who received antibiotics, IV fluids, or had decisions made about admission versus discharge, would be relevant to this work.

Not a fit: People without sepsis or those already receiving well-established guideline-based care are unlikely to get direct benefit from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to treatment patterns that reduce deaths and improve recovery for people with sepsis.

How similar studies have performed: Prior data-driven and observational sepsis studies have offered useful insights, but combining advanced machine learning with qualitative analysis of clinician decision-making is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Murray, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.