Bill > H4078

This bill establishes comprehensive protocols for the early detection and treatment of sepsis, a serious medical condition characterized by an infection that triggers a systemic inflammatory response. The bill defines key medical terms like sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock, and requires the Department of Public Health to develop and provide healthcare facilities with best practices for managing these conditions. These best practices include implementing evidence-based screening tools for both adult and pediatric patients, creating treatment protocols with time-specific goals, enabling nurse-driven testing, incorporating sepsis tools into electronic health records, establishing mechanisms for escalating care and patient transfer, developing communication strategies, creating hospital-specific antibiotic guidelines, and mandating ongoing staff education about sepsis management. Furthermore, each healthcare facility must establish a multi-disciplinary committee responsible for implementing these policies, collecting quality measures, and reporting on their adherence to sepsis protocols. The Department of Public Health is required to promulgate detailed regulations by September 1, 2025, with the act taking effect on October 1, 2025, to ensure healthcare facilities have sufficient time to develop and implement the new protocols.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4078