Table 2.
Main outcomes and outcome categories in journal articles.
| Outcome categories | Outcome classificationa, n (%b) | Total, (n=65), n (%)c | ||||
|
|
Primary | Secondary | Not specifiedd |
|
||
| Patient outcomes | ||||||
|
|
Mortality | 11 (28) | 9 (23) | 19 (49) | 39 (60) | |
|
|
Sepsis identification | 10 (40) | 3 (12) | 12 (48) | 25 (38) | |
|
|
Length of stay | 3 (14) | 10 (45) | 9 (41) | 22 (34) | |
|
|
Intensive care unit admission | 0 (0) | 5 (42) | 7 (58) | 12 (18) | |
|
|
Other | 4 (17) | 8 (35) | 11 (48) | 23 (35) | |
| Sepsis treatment and management | ||||||
|
|
Antibiotics | 6 (22) | 9 (33) | 12 (44) | 27 (42) | |
|
|
Lactate | 2 (12) | 6 (35) | 9 (53) | 17 (26) | |
|
|
Fluids | 2 (14) | 4 (29) | 8 (57) | 14 (22) | |
|
|
Blood culture | 2 (14) | 4 (29) | 8 (57) | 14 (22) | |
|
|
Sepsis bundle or protocol compliance | 2 (17) | 4 (33) | 6 (50) | 12 (18) | |
|
|
Other | 5 (16) | 7 (23) | 19 (61) | 31 (48) | |
| Usability | ||||||
|
|
Efficiency | 0 (0) | 2 (25) | 6 (75) | 8 (12) | |
|
|
Effectiveness | 0 (0) | 1 (14) | 6 (86) | 7 (11) | |
|
|
Satisfaction | 0 (0) | 3 (43) | 4 (57) | 7 (11) | |
| Cost | ||||||
|
|
Cost | 1 (20) | 2 (40) | 2 (40) | 5 (8) | |
|
|
Cost-effectiveness or savings | 0 (0) | 1 (33) | 2 (67) | 3 (5) | |
aSome studies reported both primary, secondary, or nonspecified outcomes within the same outcome group. To avoid double-counting these studies, secondary outcomes were not counted in favor of counting primary outcomes. Similarly, nonspecified outcomes were not counted in favor of primary or secondary outcomes. For example, a study may have the primary outcome mortality (30-day) and the secondary outcome mortality (7-day), which would both fall into the mortality outcome group. In this example the study would be counted as having mortality as the primary outcome.
bThese percentages were calculated as row percentages, that is, using the number in the “Total” column in each row as the denominator.
cThe percentages were calculated from the number of journal articles (n=65), not the number of total outcomes. As many journal articles reported multiple outcomes, there were more than 65 outcomes in each category, and therefore, the percentages will add up to more than 100%.
dThe study did not specify whether the outcome was primary or secondary.