[Telephone follow-up as a part of the sepsis care process]

In a pilot study of telephone follow-up as a part of the sepsis care process, no direct patient benefit could be demonstrated. A nurse with competency in infectious diseases called patients two to six weeks post-discharge after inpatient sepsis care to assess the need for further medical attention. Out of 51 eligible patients, only 21 telephone follow-ups could be realized. Supporting recommendations could be given in nine cases, but no direct medical advice was given. The follow-up was resource intensive; for each supporting recommendation, time used was calculated to 279 minutes. There is a lack of evidence for unselected follow-up after sepsis care, and the recommendation should be reworked. It is crucial that care processes are systematically evaluated, and there is need for a structure to revise the processes after implementation.