# Optimizing Veteran Recovery from Sepsis (OVeR-Sepsis)

> **NIH VA I01** · VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION · 2021 · —

## Abstract

Background. Sepsis—life-threatening organ dysfunction triggered by infection—hospitalizes more than
25,000 Veterans each year, making it the 2nd most common reason for hospitalization in the VA. While
most Veterans survive the acute episode, many suffer poor longer term outcomes. Approximately 1 in 3
survivors die in the year following sepsis, 1 in 5 have a potentially preventable rehospitalization, and 1
in 6 experience severe persistent physical or cognitive impairments. The dramatic increase in sepsis
from COVID-19 brings new urgency to optimizing sepsis survivorship, but also new opportunity to learn
from hospitals implementing recovery-focused practices to address the needs of Veterans surviving
viral sepsis from SARS-CoV-2.
Significance. Despite the prevalence of long-term morbidity after sepsis, there are no treatment
guidelines focused on enhancing recovery from sepsis. OVeR-Sepsis will meet an urgent clinical need
in VA, enhancing the recovery of the thousands of Veterans who survive sepsis each year (including
viral sepsis from COVID). OVeR-Sepsis will validate best practices for enhancing recovery from sepsis
that are responsive to Veteran and caregiver perspectives and identify feasible strategies for
implementation. We will make these tools freely available, easy to use, and promote them nationally to
encourage their use.
Innovation and Impact. OVeR-Sepsis is innovative by studying sepsis survivorship systematically and
broadly. We will study survivorship from both COVID and non-COVID sepsis, and consider how
innovation in COVID sepsis survivorship practices can inform practice for non-COVID sepsis survivors.
Our sequential explanatory mixed methods approach, with video site visits for 4-6 top- and 4-6 bottom-
performing sites for sepsis survivorship, will allow us to study of clinical practices and implementation
strategies that differentiate top-performing sites. We will then incorporate qualitative findings from our
site visits into the evidence synthesis informing a modified Delphi panel to assess best practices for
sepsis recovery.
Specific Aims. (A1) Identify top- and bottom-performing VA hospitals for 90-day survival and quality of
life after sepsis. (A2) Define practices that differentiate top-performing hospitals through electronic
health record analysis, surveys, and video site visits. (A3) Prioritize best practices for sepsis recovery
based on validity, improvement opportunity, and feasibility.
Methodology. We will measure risk-standardized 90-day survival from sepsis across VA hospitals
using hierarchical regression models and 2017-2020 CDW data. We will then empanel a cohort of
N=600 Veterans from (25 Veterans per hospital, from 12 higher- and 12-lower survival hospitals) to
measure quality of life and disability using telephone survey instruments with proxy respondent options.
From those, we will select 4-6 top-performing (higher survival, high quality of life) and 4-6 bottom-
performing hospitals for 360-degree video s...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10311252
- **Project number:** 1I01HX003304-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
- **Principal Investigator:** Hallie Christine Prescott
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-10-01 → 2025-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10311252

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10311252, Optimizing Veteran Recovery from Sepsis (OVeR-Sepsis) (1I01HX003304-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10311252. Licensed CC0.

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