Q: Do I need to login to the website to get access to sepsis materials?

A: The latest Data Dictionary, PowerPoint presentations, webinars, and more are available without login on the New York Sepsis Data Collection home page at https://ny.sepsis.ipro.org.

Q: I am the new coordinator for the sepsis project. How can I get a username and password?

A: Access to the Sepsis Data Collection Portal is restricted to a primary user from your site, who has been approved by your hospital’s security/privacy officer. The primary user may add additional users at his/her discretion based on your hospital’s privacy practices.

Q: What if I can’t remember my password to the Sepsis Data Collection site?

A: You can reset your password by going to https://ny.sepsis.ipro.org, click the 'Forgot Password?' link on the home page.

Q: Should all Article 28 hospitals report severe sepsis and septic shock patients?

A: Yes. As per Department regulation, Article 28 hospitals are required to report data for severe sepsis and septic shock patients.

Q: Does the DOH mandate that we report through their data collection site?

A: Yes. The Department requires that this data must be reported via their designated data collection portal.

Q: What do we submit if we do not have cases for a quarter? Are we required to upload a blank file to indicate that we have met reporting requirements?

A: The Sepsis Data Portal website has a section to attest to reporting zero sepsis cases for your hospital for the reporting period. The link for attesting to zero cases is shown below:

https://ipro.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/202898440-Submitting-zero-cases

Q: Within a hospital, who should be responsible for collecting the required data?

A: That decision is left to each hospital. However, in conversation with your colleagues, we have found that many hospitals are working with staff across several departments to collect data (e.g., infection prevention, information services, pharmacists, etc.). For example, the information services department may be able to pull administrative or electronic health record data to assist the clinical department(s) in their efforts to complete all of the required data elements. Other hospitals may be working to modify their healthcare data systems in order to capture all required data elements within their electronic health record.

Q: Will the abstraction tool require clinical judgment, or can it be completed by administrative staff?

A: There is no data collection tool. Data will be collected as a file to match formatting specified in the dictionary. Clinical judgment will certainly be required, although the data may be collected retrospectively, prospectively, or concurrently. Your IT/IS department may need to be involved in regards to extracting the data for transfer as a file. In the dictionary, you will see fields that are patient specific, so there are patient level requirements. It is anticipated that hospitals will find it easier to send all of the cases as a batch file rather than individually uploading each case. More information was provided during the webinar on April 29, 2014, which was recorded. A link to the recorded webinar is available at https://ny.sepsis.ipro.org. This and any other available materials are accessible to view and/or download without needing to login.

Q: For alphanumeric fields (e.g., 15), do we left pad with spaces, or do we simply submit up to 15 characters?

A: Submit up to 15 characters. There is no left padding.

Q: Will the Department provide a grid for chart abstraction? Will CSV files be accepted?

A: Data will not be collected using form or grid methods but will be accepted using more current data collection methodologies, such as NHSN data submission. Data will be accepted as a standard data file (e.g., a CSV file) which may be submitted as a batch of data or as a single case upload.

Q: Will hospitals be provided a snapshot of the data collection tool used to submit data for the sepsis initiative? Will we be submitting patient level results on every patient for each data element in the sepsis data dictionary or aggregate data?

A: There is no data collection tool, per se. Data will be collected as a file to match formatting specified in the data dictionary. Yes, the Department is collecting patient level data which is not to be aggregated by the hospital prior to submission.

Q: Will DOH/IPRO be creating a new report from our corrected data if we identified an error?

A: Data submissions are "frozen" at set times for report production of quarterly results. Therefore, prior quarterly data will not be recalculated. However, aggregated cumulative data (e.g., year to date, annual, etc.) will capture corrected data. It is important that corrected data be submitted as soon as possible since cumulative aggregate reporting will include these corrections.

*Please note that as of August 6, 2016, all reported data for discharges dated prior to January 1, 2016 (i.e., data for calendar years 2014 & 2015) were frozen. Therefore, corrections to the 2014 or 2015 data will not be accepted.

Q: How do I collect data? HANYS had a free tool but are now selling the sepsis tool. Are we required to purchase the HANYS data collection tool to submit hospital data?

A: The NYSDOH accepts data as a flat file that aligns with the specifications in the data dictionary and the data template. These are free resources available to all hospitals and posted on the portal website. You may create your flat file in many ways. Some hospitals have their information technology departments pull the data elements that can be captured electronically and provide that file to hospital staff who then capture the remaining data elements via excel or some other program. Some hospitals have created screens to capture all of the data right in their EHR. Other hospitals have chosen to use a HANYS tool. The HANYS tool is not required nor is it a Department tool or endorsed by the Department. However, we are aware that HANYS has created this tool to assist hospitals in their data capture and they have designed the tool to meet reporting specifications.

Q: You use 'sepsis' at times. Is the intention 'severe sepsis and septic shock'?

A: Yes.

Q: What is the clinical source reference defining 'Severe sepsis/shock'?

A: There are many clinical sources that are widely available including the 'Surviving Sepsis Campaign' (see Dillinger, RP et al. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Sever Sepsis and Septic Shock: 2012. Critical Care Medicine 2013; 41(2): 580- 637).

Q: Can the Department provide clinical guidance or advise on specific cases?

A: No. Hospitals should consult with their clinical staff for guidance on clinical determinations. 

Q: Will the Department provide a list of broad spectrum antibiotics?

A: Hospitals should consult with their clinical staff for guidance on broad spectrum antibiotics.

Q: Are there any lists of medications that we need to refer to regarding Immune Modifying Medications?

A: Hospitals should consult with their clinical staff for guidance on lists of medications.