Examining the Hospital Burden of Sepsis in the United States (CE Session)
Description:
This session is part of Sepsis Alliance Summit 2025.
Sepsis remains a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and healthcare utilization across the United States. This session will explore recent data and trends related to hospital and emergency department visits for sepsis, with a focus on utilization patterns, patient outcomes, and associated costs. Attendees will also be introduced to key tools and resources from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) that support data-driven decision-making and quality improvement initiatives in sepsis care.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, the learner should be able to:
- Review trends in utilization, outcomes, and cost of sepsis hospitalizations and ED visits;
- Identify and access AHRQ’s resources related to monitoring and improving care for sepsis.
Target Audience:
Nurses, advanced practice providers, physicians, emergency responders, pharmacists, medical technologists, respiratory therapists, physical/occupational therapists, infection prevention specialists, data/quality specialists, and more.
Pamela Owens, PhD
Director of the Division for Healthcare Data and Analytics in the Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (CQuIPS)
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Pamela Owens, PhD, is a Director of the Division for Healthcare Data and Analytics in the Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (CQuIPS) at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Dr. Owens is one of AHRQ’s liaisons to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Data Council and is the Senior Project Director of AHRQ’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). She previously served as the senior epidemiologist and scientific technical director of the AHRQ Quality Indicators (QIs).
Dr. Owens’ research spans a wide array of topic areas related to the hospital utilization, cost, and quality of care. She has over 50 publications in peer-reviewed publications, including the Journal of the American Medical Association, Medical Care, Health Services Research, Annals of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Academic Pediatrics, Ambulatory Pediatrics, Academic Emergency Medicine, Annals of Emergency Medicine, Psychiatric Services, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Journal of Preventive Medicine. Dr. Owens received a Ph.D. in epidemiology and health policy from Yale University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She also has several years of clinical experience as an occupational therapist working in nursing homes, hospitals, schools, rehabilitation facilities, and behavioral health units.
Pamela Owens had no relevant financial relationships to disclose.