UnityPoint Health updated sepsis detection software for maternal patients | The Locally Times
New software protocols increased antibiotic delivery rates to 66% and saved an estimated four lives annually.
UnityPoint Health implemented sepsis detection criteria and a clinical care path within its electronic health record (EHR) system, the software that stores patient medical histories, to identify infections in pregnant and postpartum patients. Since July 2024, the health system used these digital tools to treat 133 maternal patients. ## Clinical Performance Outcomes Data from Systems released June 18, 2026, shows the integration of pregnancy-specific guidance increased the utilization rate of the sepsis order set—a pre-packaged list of medical orders for diagnosis and treatment—from 68% to 86%. Maternal patients with sepsis now receive antibiotics within one hour of identification 66% of the time, an increase from the 55% rate recorded before the software update. The health system estimates the protocols save four maternal lives annually, based on research findings that 63% of maternal sepsis fatalities are potentially avoidable through earlier programs. ## Implementation and Scope UnityPoint Health previously refined its adult sepsis care path using the Early Detection of Sepsis predictive model, a tool the health system reports saved 190 lives. The current maternal-specific build extends these detection capabilities to the perinatal population. The system includes pregnancy-specific monitoring and treatment options that trigger when clinicians use the updated order set. The new criteria define maternal sepsis as occurring between 20 weeks of gestation and three days postpartum, applying guidance from the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, a group that develops standards for pregnancy-related care. ## Key Questions **How does this system help identify sepsis in pregnant patients?** The system embeds pregnancy-specific monitoring guidelines and sepsis order sets directly into the electronic health record, helping clinicians distinguish between normal pregnancy symptoms and signs of sepsis. **How many lives have been saved by these protocols?** UnityPoint Health estimates that the new protocols save four maternal lives annually, based on data collected since the implementation began in July 2024.