Table 1.

Key Questions for Clinical Management of Sepsis Survivors

In-hospital treatments

• How do common in-hospital treatments for sepsis (e.g., antibiotics, fluid resuscitation, vasopressors, and organ support) impact physical function, healthcare use, and quality of life 6–12 mo after sepsis?

• Can in-hospital sepsis treatments be refined to optimize physical function, quality of life, and days spent at home in the 6–12 mo after sepsis?

Early physical and cognitive rehabilitation

• What are the optimal characteristics of early rehabilitation (e.g., timing, dosage, intensity, and duration)?

• Are there specific subsets of patients for whom early rehabilitation may be harmful?

• How should rehabilitation be tailored to specific subsets of patients?

• Does early rehabilitation result in improved long-term physical and cognitive function at 6–12 mo after sepsis?

Transitions of care

• What is the optimal mechanism to transition patients from ICU, to ward, to post–acute care facilities, and ultimately to primary care management?

Follow-up care

• Does earlier outpatient follow-up (e.g., within 7–14 d) result in improved patient and caregiver satisfaction and in a greater number of days alive and out of hospital at 6 mo?

• Do specialized postsepsis follow-up programs lead to reduced healthcare use, improved physical function, and/or improved patient and caregiver satisfaction at 6–12 mo?

• Which patients are most likely to benefit from specialized postsepsis follow-up care?

• What are the necessary components of sepsis aftercare, and how can they be scaled for delivery outside of specialized follow-up programs?

• Does referral to peer support programs result in improved patient satisfaction, caregiver satisfaction, or patient health-related quality of life?