The American Medical Association is underscoring the importance of robust sepsis training, particularly for new hires, as U.S. hospitals are increasingly under pressure to do more to reduce and prevent the 270,000 sepsis-induced deaths that occur annually.
As part of new CMS rules that take effect in 2026, hospitals must adopt additional safety measures for sepsis care outlined by the agency to continue to receive government funding.
Including sepsis training in onboarding processes is crucial to making progress on this front, physicians told the AMA. They recommend the following:
- Infection control leaders should establish a relationship with new hires early on and provide information and training regarding sepsis detection protocols.
- Include sepsis education and reduction goals in committee and department meetings to measure progress and continue conversation around related infection control priorities.
- Even after onboarding, continuing sepsis education and one-on-one training is important to keep it top of mind.
- Take opportunities to discuss with clinicians best practices, how to streamline processes in identifying and treating sepsis more quickly, and review new tools being made to improve detection and treatment.
- Make sure clinicians educate patients in how to care for themselves post-sepsis infection after they are discharged.