Summary
Research shows that more than 14,000 deaths from sepsis could be avoid in England each year if symptoms of the disease were recognised earlier.
The Health Innovation Network developed a video miniseries called “Spotting the Signs of Sepsis”, speeding up the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis in children.
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Last Wednesday you posted the video with the signs of sepsis, on the Thursday my daughter became ill and if it wasn’t for your video I wouldn’t of [SIC] took her to the A&E at 2 in the morning. Your video helped me make the right choices for my daughter and helped catch sepsis early. This will save lives.
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Patient, NHS Choices Facebook page
What the project involved
The making of the project started with Dr Laura Fraser, who accumulated a network of contacts from the AHSN’s Sepsis Community of Practice during her year as a Darzi Fellow. 3 films were co-designed and produced, with the goal of raising awareness of sepsis symptoms in children amongst caregivers and HCPs.
The three films produced were:
- “Spotting the Signs of Sepsis”
- “Caring for Children with Fever”; designed to support parents looking after children who have been cleared of the risk of sepsis at home
- “Spotting the Signs of Sepsis: A&E/ED Edition” aimed at parents of children under the age of five who were discharged from the ED after an infection.
Spotting the Signs of Sepsis - Subtitled (English)
Outcomes
The films garnered over 2.8 million views in total across national NHS social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in 2017, raising crucial disease awareness in caregiver audiences. London paediatric emergency departments are using the films, and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has included them in their Sepsis Toolkits.
Next steps
The film remains on national NHS channels; healthcare professionals interested in high-quality versions for use in medical settings should contact the Health Innovation Network.
