In this mixed-methods study of 9,180 adult emergency department patients with sepsis treated by 88 physicians across four hospitals, door-to-antimicrobial time varied significantly at the physician level, but faster antimicrobial initiation was not associated with increased overtreatment or broader-spectrum antibiotic use. Qualitative interviews suggested that physicians with shorter door-to-antimicrobial times employed proactive, parallel task execution and multidisciplinary coordination, whereas those with longer times described more sequential, reactive approaches to sepsis evaluation and management.

Source: JAMA Network Open