Sepsis
Conditions
Brief summary
The research project is an anonymous, prospective, non-interventional consensus study in the form of a modified Delphi method, consisting of three online surveys and structured feedback meetings without recording. The goal is the structured evaluation and consolidation of expert assessments to develop context-adapted quality indicators and operationalize them for early sepsis care in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Detailed description
The expert panel will be recruited through purposive sampling via existing national and international sepsis networks (including the Sub-Saharan African Consortium for the Advancement of Innovative Research and Care in Africa, "STAIRS"), scientific collaborations, and personal invitations from the study team in Berlin. Invited are professionals with proven experience in sepsis care or sepsis research in sub-Saharan Africa, including physicians, nurses, researchers, and other healthcare professionals involved in acute care and quality assurance. For the first Delphi round, the investigators plan to recruit approximately 10-15 experts. In a second recruitment phase, participants may nominate additional experts with relevant expertise (snowball sampling). The total number of panel members should not exceed 30-45.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
Charite University, Berlin, Germany
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Professionals with proven experience in sepsis care or sepsis research in low- and middle-income countries, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa including physicians, nurses, researchers, and other healthcare professionals involved in early acute care and quality assurance * Minimum age of 18 * Willingness to voluntarily participate in one or more Delphi rounds
Exclusion criteria
* Lack of professional expertise in the field of sepsis care * Refusal to consent to participation * Withdrawal from participation at the participant's own request
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The degree of expert consensus on individual quality indicators | Up to October 2026 | The degree of expert consensus on individual quality indicators, measured on a 5-point Likert scale (median and interquartile range) . |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The final, agreed-upon set of quality indicators | Up to October 2026 | The final, agreed-upon set of quality indicators is developed during the project |
| The agreed-upon structure of the STEPS survey instrument. | Up to October 2026 | The agreed-upon structure of the STEPS survey instrument. |
| The agreed-upon content of the STEPS survey instrument. | Up to October 2026 | The agreed-upon content of the STEPS survey instrument. |
Countries
Ghana
Contacts
CONTACTClaudia Spies, MD, Prof.
STUDY_DIRECTORClaudia Spies, MD, Prof.
Charite University, Berlin, Germany
Outcome results
None listed