FMOL Health in Louisiana reported a 24% reduction in sepsis mortality after introducing a rapid blood-based diagnostic tool, while also reducing antibiotic use, blood cultures and hospital days. The health system says the technology has helped save one life every three days.
FMOL Health, a Louisiana-based healthcare system, introduced a rapid diagnostic tool for sepsis in 2023. According to data reported by Becker's Hospital Review, the health system has since achieved a 24% reduction in sepsis mortality.
The organization also reports that the program has helped save approximately one life every three days.
Mortality also declined among patients without sepsis
The reported impact extended beyond patients diagnosed with sepsis.
FMOL Health recorded a 19% reduction in mortality among patients who did not have sepsis, according to data cited by Becker's Hospital Review.
The health system also reported a 14% reduction in antibiotic use and approximately a 30% reduction in blood culture utilization.
Over a two-year period, the initiative was associated with nearly 30,000 fewer hospital days, which FMOL Health estimates translated into approximately $25 million in financial savings or recovered value for the health system.
IntelliSep delivers results in 8 to 10 minutes
The technology used by FMOL Health is called IntelliSep. It analyzes a blood sample and can provide a sepsis assessment in approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
Christopher Thomas, MD, chief quality officer and vice president at FMOL Health, said the system has been used to evaluate approximately 80,000 patients.
Speaking to the Becker's Health Podcast, Thomas said the results have remained consistent across the health system's different hospitals.
These facilities include an academic hospital, a community hospital, a large safety-net hospital in Monroe, Louisiana, and a major specialized medical center in Jackson.
"About half of those patients had a different disease"
One of the most notable findings came during the early implementation of the technology.
Before the rapid diagnostic tool was introduced, patients presenting with certain combinations of vital signs were frequently evaluated as potential sepsis cases.
Approximately three months after implementation, the clinical team found that about half of those patients actually had a different condition, according to Thomas, who also practices as an intensivist.
The finding highlighted the potential value of rapid diagnostic testing not only for identifying sepsis more quickly, but also for distinguishing sepsis from other conditions and potentially reducing unnecessary treatment.
Safe emergency department discharges increased 15%
FMOL Health also reported a 15% increase in safe discharges from the emergency department following implementation of the technology.
The organization attributes the improvement to faster clinical assessment and earlier decision-making.
Thomas said similar trends were observed across different types of hospitals, including reductions in blood culture utilization and mortality among both sepsis and non-sepsis patients.
30,000 fewer hospital days
The approximately 30,000 reduction in hospital days represents both a financial and operational benefit for the health system.
Thomas also highlighted the human impact of the reduction, noting that time not spent in the hospital can instead be spent by patients with their families.
From a financial perspective, FMOL Health reported that the reduction in hospital days returned approximately $25 million to the health system.
"Don't be afraid to do something novel—but measure it"
Thomas said healthcare organizations seeking to replicate the initiative should not be afraid to introduce new approaches, but should systematically measure the results and share what they learn.
He also emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration.
FMOL Health's quality team reportedly requires at least three disciplines to be represented when major projects are discussed. Thomas said that limiting discussions to only one or two disciplines can make it difficult to fully consider all aspects of a patient's care.
The FMOL Health experience illustrates how rapid diagnostic technologies may influence sepsis management beyond faster identification of high-risk patients. By helping clinicians distinguish sepsis from other conditions, such tools may also have implications for antibiotic stewardship, laboratory utilization, emergency department throughput and hospital resource use.
