Research project Sepsis is a life-threatening condition in which every hour of delay can affect a patient’s chance of survival and recovery. ACCELERATE investigates how sepsis can be detected and treated earlier, from ambulance care and the emergency department to recovery after hospital care, to create faster, safer and more equitable care.
ACCELERATE is a research programme that studies the entire sepsis care pathway. By analysing care processes, geographical distances, organisational factors and patient outcomes, the project aims to identify delays and develop better approaches to early treatment. The goal is to improve survival, recovery and equity in care for patients with sepsis.
Why is the project needed?
Sepsis is one of the most time-critical conditions in healthcare and affects tens of thousands of people each year. Despite established care pathways, the time to diagnosis and treatment varies between patients and hospitals. Delays may arise before arrival at hospital or during transitions between ambulance care, the emergency department and continued hospital care. ACCELERATE examines how these barriers can be identified and reduced so patients receive faster and more effective treatment.
How is the research conducted?
The project is based on a unique research database containing more than 5,400 patients who met the criteria for a sepsis alert at Region Västerbotten’s emergency departments between 2014 and 2024. Clinical data are combined with information from ambulance services, laboratories and healthcare registers. This makes it possible to follow each patient through the care pathway and analyse which factors affect treatment times, care processes and outcomes.
From identification to recovery
ACCELERATE covers four research areas: evaluation of sepsis alerts, studies of organisational barriers, development of prehospital antibiotic treatment, and research on long-term recovery after sepsis. The aim is to generate knowledge that can be translated into improved alert criteria, decision support and care processes. In the longer term, the results
