Early Sepsis Triage & Clinical Workflow Survey: A Day In The Life of Frontline Care

Sepsis is a time-sensitive medical emergency, yet early detection remains one of the most complex challenges across clinical settings. We’re conducting a brief survey to understand how different clinicians — across emergency departments, ICUs, burn units, and beyond — approach early triage, decision-making, and diagnostic workflows in suspected sepsis cases.

Your input will help shape new approaches to improve speed and accuracy in sepsis detection while addressing the real-world pressures of your clinical environment. This survey is designed for physicians, nurses, sepsis coordinators, and laboratorians. It takes just a few minutes to complete and will directly inform future clinical tools and protocols.

Section 1: Early Recognition & Workflow

Question Title

What is your primary role in the care of patients with suspected or confirmed sepsis? (Select the one that best applies to your daily responsibilities.)

Triage Nurse (ED or urgent care)

Emergency Department Nurse

Sepsis Coordinator

ICU Nurse

Hospitalist / Internal Medicine Provider

Emergency Physician

Critical Care Physician

Infection Preventionist

Laboratory Technician or Lab Manager

Clinical Pharmacist

Respiratory Therapist

Rapid Response Team Member

Quality or Compliance Specialist

Other (please specify)

Question Title

Which role do you consider the sepsis champion at your practice? Who is most aware of sepsis advancements in the industry? (Select up to 3, if appropriate)

Triage Nurse (ED or urgent care)

Emergency Department Nurse

Sepsis Coordinator

ICU Nurse

Hospitalist / Internal Medicine Provider

Emergency Physician

Critical Care Physician

Infection Preventionist

Laboratory Technician or Lab Manager

Clinical Pharmacist

Respiratory Therapist

Rapid Response Team Member

Quality or Compliance Specialist

Other (please specify)

Question Title

Where are you located, and how many ER/ED admissions come through your practice daily who are septic?

Question Title

How confident are you in your current triage workflow to identify early signs of sepsis reliably?

Extremely confident

Very confident

Somewhat confident

Not so confident

Not at all confident

Question Title

At what stage is sepsis most commonly missed or delayed in your hospital?

At patient intake (triage)

During initial vital signs/labs

During provider assessment

During unit handoff

Other (please specify)

Question Title

What is your typical protocol when sepsis is suspected in triage?

Draw labs

Initiate fluid resuscitation

Notify doctor or clinician immediately

Sepsis-3 definition

SEP-1 Bundle

Follow SIRS criteria

Other (please specify)

Section 2: Diagnostics & Tools

Question Title

Are rapid diagnostics (e.g., lactate, PCT, point-of-care [POC] devices, sepsis biomarkers) available in your triage area?

Yes – used frequently

Yes – but rarely used

No – not available

Not sure

Question Title

Which clinical decision tools are integrated into your sepsis screening process? (Select all that apply)

qSOFA

MEWS

NEWS2

Custom EHR Alert

SIRS Assessment (Systemic inflammatory response syndrome)

None

Other (please specify)

Question Title

If a point-of-care (POC) test could identify sepsis risk in under 10 minutes, how likely would you be to use it in triage?

Not likely → Extremely likely

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

Section 3: Communication & Handoffs

Question Title

How effective is your communication with ED physicians or ICU staff regarding sepsis concerns initiated at triage?

Very ineffective → Very effective

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

Question Title

What information is most likely to be lost or misunderstood during the handoff of a suspected sepsis case? (Especially across shifts, units [e.g., ED to ICU], or disciplines — critical information can easily be lost or miscommunicated.)

Timing and Rationale of Antibiotic Administration

Initial Source of Infection (Suspected or Confirmed

Vital Signs Trend and Clinical Deterioration

Fluid Resuscitation Details

qSOFA / SIRS / Sepsis Scoring Rationale

Pending Labs and Diagnostic Imaging

Response to Treatment So Far

Code Status and Goals of Care Discussions

Medication Allergies and Contraindications

Patient-Specific Risk Factors

Other (please specify)

Section 4: Barriers & Bottlenecks

Question Title

What is the biggest barrier to faster sepsis intervention in your role?

Delayed lab results

Lack of POC tools

Staffing constraints

EHR alert fatigue

Uncertainty (Is it sepsis?)

Other (please specify)

Question Title

Do you believe current Sepsis-3 compliance requirements improve or hinder clinical care?

Improve care

Hinder care

Neutral

Not familiar with Sepsis-3

Question Title

Have you seen improved patient outcomes with the Sepsis-3 process?

Yes

Question Title

How would you improve Sepsis-3 process?

Section 4: Innovation & Opportunity

Question Title

If you could change one thing about your hospital’s sepsis workflow, what would it be?

Question Title

How willing would your team be to pilot a triage-level diagnostic tool that could detect sepsis risk before ED bed assignment?

Not willing → Very willing

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

Question Title

How willing would your team be to pilot a triage-level diagnostic tool that could detect sepsis risk in ICU or Burn Units?

Not willing → Very willing

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

Question Title

Would you be interested in joining a working group or pilot program focused on improving early sepsis detection?

Yes

Maybe (need more information)

Question Title

Are there any economic pain points of the workflow (i.e., restrictions where increased budget could deliver better outcomes)? Please describe.

Question Title

Do you have any suggestions on how the workflow can be improved?

Yes

Question Title

If you answered "yes" to the previous question, please provide your suggestions on how the workflow can be improved.

Question Title

In the process of determining sepsis, what's the average turnaround time to receive lab results?

Question Title

Thank you for your time and valuable insights. As a token of our appreciation, the first 100 respondents will receive a Starbucks gift card. Please enter your email below to be eligible.