Analysis and Optimization of a Sepsis Clinical Pathway Using Process Mining.

In this work, we propose and apply a methodology for the management and optimization of clinical pathways using process mining We adapt the Clinical Pathway Analysis Method (CPAM) by taking into consideration healthcare providers' needs. We successfully applied the methodology in the sepsis treatment of a major Brazilian hospital. Using data extracted from the hospital information system, a total of 5,184 deviations in the execution of the sepsis clinical pathway were discovered and categorized in 43 different types. We identified the process as it was actually executed, two bottlenecks, and significant differences in performance in cases that deviated from the prescribed clinical pathway. Furthermore, factors such as patient age, gender, and type of infection were shown to affect performance. The analysis results were validated by an expert panel of clinical professionals and verified to provide valuable, actionable insights. Based on these insights, we were able to suggest optimization points in the sepsis clinical pathway.