Which barriers and solutions do (psycho-)medical providers perceive at the interface of acute care, rehabilitation and aftercare of patients with sepsis? An interdisciplinary online focus group study in Germany
7 affiliations
- 1Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- 2Institute of Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Faculty of Medicine, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- 3Institute of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- 4Center for Sepsis Control and Care, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- 5Institute of General Practice, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany
- 6Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
- 7Sepsis Foundation, Berlin, Germany
Abstract
Objectives Sepsis survivors often suffer from a myriad of lasting sequelae, yet many report insufficient aftercare to address these long-term consequences. The perspectives of healthcare providers on this patient collective’s (early) rehabilitation and aftercare are insufficiently understood. This study aimed to identify barriers to adequate care for sepsis survivors experienced by interdisciplinary healthcare professionals at the interface of acute and postacute care, and potential solutions from providers’ viewpoints.Design We conducted and analysed five qualitative focus groups using qualitative content and thematic analyses. During each discussion, first, barriers to sepsis survivors’ care were identified, second, barriers were rated regarding their importance and solvability and third, proposals for optimisation were gathered for the most critical and solvable barriers. The validity of our findings was ensured through independent and consensual transcript coding by two researchers.Setting Interdisciplinary and intersectoral postacute sepsis care.Participants 28 healthcare professionals (26 physicians and two neuropsychologists) from inpatient and outpatient care involved in acute and postacute sepsis management in Germany (average age in years: M=45.82, SD=12.99; gender: 13 female participants, 46.4% of overall sample).Findings Recognising shortcomings in postacute treatment, providers elucidated multiple inadequacies, translating into nine major themes. The themes of limited collaboration/communication between providers and inappropriate rehabilitation were ranked as particularly important and simultaneously solvable. Solutions to address these barriers included interdisciplinary sepsis case conferences (similar to tumour boards), the national use of electronic health records, the deployment of rehabilitation physicians to intensive care units and the provision of rehabilitation close to survivors’ households.Conclusions Our findings emphasise the need to improve sepsis survivors’ medical care and, beyond that, are intertwined with the executive, organisational and structural conditions of the German healthcare system. Improving the care situation after acute treatment is an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral responsibility for which providers can provide pitfalls and practical suggestions for improvement. To realise holistic care, special consideration should be given to sector and discipline overlaps to avoid gaps in care when sepsis survivors are transferred.
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BibTeX
@article{draeger2026which,
title = {{Which barriers and solutions do (psycho-)medical providers perceive at the interface of acute care, rehabilitation and aftercare of patients with sepsis? An interdisciplinary online focus group study in Germany}},
author = {Lea Draeger and Lena Kannengießer and Jutta Bleidorn and Claudia Matthaeus-Kraemer and Christian Apfelbacher and Konrad FR Schmidt and Susanne Ullmann and Carolin Fleischmann-Struzek},
journal = {BMJ Open},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2025-115814},
url = {https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-115814},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Which barriers and solutions do (psycho-)medical providers perceive at the interface of acute care, rehabilitation and aftercare of patients with sepsis? An interdisciplinary online focus group study in Germany
AU - Lea Draeger
AU - Lena Kannengießer
AU - Jutta Bleidorn
AU - Claudia Matthaeus-Kraemer
AU - Christian Apfelbacher
AU - Konrad FR Schmidt
AU - Susanne Ullmann
AU - Carolin Fleischmann-Struzek
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/05
JO - BMJ Open
DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-115814
UR - https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-115814
AB - Objectives Sepsis survivors often suffer from a myriad of lasting sequelae, yet many report insufficient aftercare to address these long-term consequences. The perspectives of healthcare providers on this patient collective’s (early) rehabilitation and aftercare are insufficiently understood. This study aimed to identify barriers to adequate care for sepsis survivors experienced by interdisciplinary healthcare professionals at the interface of acute and postacute care, and potential solutions from providers’ viewpoints.Design We conducted and analysed five qualitative focus groups using qualitative content and thematic analyses. During each discussion, first, barriers to sepsis survivors’ care were identified, second, barriers were rated regarding their importance and solvability and third, proposals for optimisation were gathered for the most critical and solvable barriers. The validity of our findings was ensured through independent and consensual transcript coding by two researchers.Setting Interdisciplinary and intersectoral postacute sepsis care.Participants 28 healthcare professionals (26 physicians and two neuropsychologists) from inpatient and outpatient care involved in acute and postacute sepsis management in Germany (average age in years: M=45.82, SD=12.99; gender: 13 female participants, 46.4% of overall sample).Findings Recognising shortcomings in postacute treatment, providers elucidated multiple inadequacies, translating into nine major themes. The themes of limited collaboration/communication between providers and inappropriate rehabilitation were ranked as particularly important and simultaneously solvable. Solutions to address these barriers included interdisciplinary sepsis case conferences (similar to tumour boards), the national use of electronic health records, the deployment of rehabilitation physicians to intensive care units and the provision of rehabilitation close to survivors’ households.Conclusions Our findings emphasise the need to improve sepsis survivors’ medical care and, beyond that, are intertwined with the executive, organisational and structural conditions of the German healthcare system. Improving the care situation after acute treatment is an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral responsibility for which providers can provide pitfalls and practical suggestions for improvement. To realise holistic care, special consideration should be given to sector and discipline overlaps to avoid gaps in care when sepsis survivors are transferred.
SN - 2044-6055
SN - 2044-6055
ER -