SepsisASKNCT07351344
African Survey on Sepsis Knowledge (ASK)
An observational study of Sepsis, run by Claudia Spies at 1 site in Ghana.
Trial summary
This study is an anonymous online survey on clinical knowledge of sepsis among healthcare professionals in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The survey is to be repeated every 12-24 months. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Sepsis
- How many people
- 300 participants
- Where
- 1 siteGhana
- Study dates
- 20 Feb 2026to 31 Jul 2027
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Adult members of a healthcare profession (e.g., doctors, nurses, clinical officers) or their trainees from healthcare facility in one of the seven partner countries (Uganda, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria).
Who may be able to join
- Occupation: adult members of a healthcare profession (e.g., doctors, nurses, midwifes) or their trainees
- Place of work: employment in a healthcare facility in one of the seven partner countries (Uganda, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria).
- Consent: Willingness to participate voluntarily in the anonymous online survey.
Who cannot join
- Not employed in a healthcare profession (e.g., administrative staff, non-medical professionals)
- Not employed in one of the participating countries. Incomplete questionnaires (< 50% of questions answered)
- No internet access or technical limitations that make participation impossible. To complete the survey online.
- Language skills: Sufficient language skills in the survey language (English or French)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Ghana1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
The Komfo Anokye teaching hospital
Kumasi
+233 593 830 400, info@kath.gov.gh
About this study
This study is an anonymous online survey on clinical knowledge of sepsis among healthcare professionals in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The survey is to be repeated every 12-24 months.
Read the detailed description
The survey is being conducted in the partner countries of the research network "sub-Saharan Africa consorTium for the Advancement of Innovative Research and Care in Sepsis (STAIRS)," which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). As part of clinical capacity building in partner institutions in Uganda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria, the project will establish a series of webinars and a learning platform, among other things. The survey will be conducted in two separate cross-sectional waves. The baseline survey serves to identify relevant knowledge gaps and determine the needs of various groups of healthcare professionals. The second wave will compare sepsis knowledge scores between waves.
- Conditions
- Sepsis
- Medical subject headings
- Sepsis
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Participants from the first wave | 150 adult participants from healthcare professions from partner institutions in Uganda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria are surveyed. | |
| Participants from the second wave | 150 adult participants from healthcare professions from partner institutions in Uganda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria are surveyed. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Sepsis - Knowledge - Score
- Measured as the sum of correctly answered questions in the questionnaire. This results in a sepsis knowledge score of 0-47 points, with higher scores indicating better knowledge.
- Assessed in two independent cross-sectional survey waves.
- Calculated for all participants.
- Serves as the main measure of clinical sepsis knowledge in partner countries across survey waves conducted before and after the implementation period of capacity-building activities
Measured: Baseline survey period (January 19, 2026 - April 30, 2026) and follow-up survey period (April 1, 2027 - July 31, 2027)
Secondary outcomes (7)
Domain-specific knowledge of sepsis
Domain-specific knowledge of sepsis is measured in five domains, to identify specific knowledge gaps. Domain-specific scores will be measured as the sum of correctly answered questions in the questionnaire in respective domain. Domains are:
- definitions of sepsis and septic shock (0-8 points, with higher points indicating higher knowledge)
- sepsis risk groups (0-6 points, with higher points indicating higher knowledge),
- causes of sepsis (0-6 points, with higher points indicating higher knowledge),
- sepsis symptoms (0-6 points, with higher points indicating higher knowledge),
- management of sepsis (0-21 points, with higher points indicating higher knowledge).
All domains together sum up to the overall sepsis knowledge score (primary outcome).
Measured: Baseline survey period (January 19, 2026 - April 30, 2026), and follow-up survey period (April 1, 2027 - July 31, 2027)
Analysis of sepsis knowledge scores and domain-specific scores by professional role
- Correlations between sepsis knowledge scores and professional roles and different levels of education within professional groups (nurses, doctors, and midwifes).
- Regression-based predictors of overall sepsis knowledge scores and domain-specific scores by professional roles and different levels of education within the professional groups of nurses, doctors, and midwifes
Measured: Baseline survey period (January 19, 2026 - April 30, 2026), and follow-up survey period (April 1, 2027 - July 31, 2027)
Country comparison
- Between group comparison in sepsis knowledge scores and domain-specific sepsis knowledge between different countries (Uganda, Ethiopia, the Demoratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, (potentially other countries in case of spill-over).
Measured: Baseline survey period (January 19, 2026 - April 30, 2026), and follow-up survey period (April 1, 2027 - July 31, 2027)
Second survey wave only: Change in sepsis knowledge scores between survey waves
- Difference in average knowledge score in repeated survey.
- Between-wave comparison of sepsis knowledge scores and domain specific sepsis knowledge scores in a comparison between baseline assessment and after implementation of STAIRS capacity building measures
- Comparisons between survey waves will be conducted using appropriate parametric or non-parametric tests
Measured: Follow-up survey period (April 1, 2027 - July 31, 2027)
Comparison of sepsis knowledge scores by self-reported participation in capacity-building measures
- Comparison of sepsis knowledge scores and domain-specific scores between respondents who report participation in capacity-building activities and those who do not
- If possible, assessment of correlations and adjusted relationships between participation in capacity-building activities and sepsis knowledge scores
Measured: Follow-up survey period (April 1, 2027 - July 31, 2027)
Baseline survey only: Self-assessment of perceived training needs
- Exploratory analysis of self-reported sepsis training needs, and preferred formats (virtual vs. in-person)
- Self-reported perception of the importance of sepsis as a training subject
Measured: Baseline survey period (January 19, 2026 - April 30, 2026)
Vignette-based sepsis knowledge score (sum of correct responses to predefined vignette items)
- Calculated as the sum of correct responses (0-9 points) to predefined items across four clinical case vignettes
- Analyzed separately from the primary sepsis knowledge score
- Analyzed descriptively and compared between groups and survey waves using appropriate statistical tests
Measured: Baseline survey period (January 19, 2026 - April 30, 2026), and follow-up survey period (April 1, 2027 - July 31, 2027)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted20 Jan 2026
- Study start20 Feb 2026
- Primary completion31 Jul 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Jul 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for SepsisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 300 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Claudia Spies
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Claudia Spies, Charite University, Berlin, Germany
- Investigators
- Claudia Spies, MD, Prof., Study director, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (CCM/CVK), Charité - University Medicine Berlin
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07351344
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STAIRS
- Acronym
- ASK
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 24 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- African Survey on Sepsis Knowledge (ASK)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07351344
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- ASK / STAIRS
- Conditions
- Sepsis
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 300 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Claudia SpiesUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 20 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Jul 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Jul 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 20 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study is an anonymous online survey on clinical knowledge of sepsis among healthcare professionals in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The survey is to be repeated every 12-24 months.
Detailed description
The survey is being conducted in the partner countries of the research network "sub-Saharan Africa consorTium for the Advancement of Innovative Research and Care in Sepsis (STAIRS)," which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). As part of clinical capacity building in partner institutions in Uganda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria, the project will establish a series of webinars and a learning platform, among other things. The survey will be conducted in two separate cross-sectional waves. The baseline survey serves to identify relevant knowledge gaps and determine the needs of various groups of healthcare professionals. The second wave will compare sepsis knowledge scores between waves.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Participants from the first wave | – | –150 adult participants from healthcare professions from partner institutions in Uganda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria are surveyed. |
| Participants from the second wave | – | –150 adult participants from healthcare professions from partner institutions in Uganda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria are surveyed. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Adult members of a healthcare profession (e.g., doctors, nurses, clinical officers) or their trainees from healthcare facility in one of the seven partner countries (Uganda, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria).
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Occupation: adult members of a healthcare profession (e.g., doctors, nurses, midwifes) or their trainees
- Place of work: employment in a healthcare facility in one of the seven partner countries (Uganda, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria).
- Consent: Willingness to participate voluntarily in the anonymous online survey.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Not employed in a healthcare profession (e.g., administrative staff, non-medical professionals)
- Not employed in one of the participating countries. Incomplete questionnaires (< 50% of questions answered)
- No internet access or technical limitations that make participation impossible. To complete the survey online.
- Language skills: Sufficient language skills in the survey language (English or French)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Sepsis - Knowledge - Score
Time frame: Baseline survey period (January 19, 2026 - April 30, 2026) and follow-up survey period (April 1, 2027 - July 31, 2027)
* Measured as the sum of correctly answered questions in the questionnaire. This results in a sepsis knowledge score of 0-47 points, with higher scores indicating better knowledge. * Assessed in two independent cross-sectional survey waves. * Calculated for all participants. * Serves as the main measure of clinical sepsis knowledge in partner countries across survey waves conducted before and after the implementation period of capacity-building activities
7 secondary outcomes
Domain-specific knowledge of sepsis
Time frame: Baseline survey period (January 19, 2026 - April 30, 2026), and follow-up survey period (April 1, 2027 - July 31, 2027)
Analysis of sepsis knowledge scores and domain-specific scores by professional role
Time frame: Baseline survey period (January 19, 2026 - April 30, 2026), and follow-up survey period (April 1, 2027 - July 31, 2027)
Country comparison
Time frame: Baseline survey period (January 19, 2026 - April 30, 2026), and follow-up survey period (April 1, 2027 - July 31, 2027)
Second survey wave only: Change in sepsis knowledge scores between survey waves
Time frame: Follow-up survey period (April 1, 2027 - July 31, 2027)
Comparison of sepsis knowledge scores by self-reported participation in capacity-building measures
Time frame: Follow-up survey period (April 1, 2027 - July 31, 2027)
Baseline survey only: Self-assessment of perceived training needs
Time frame: Baseline survey period (January 19, 2026 - April 30, 2026)
Vignette-based sepsis knowledge score (sum of correct responses to predefined vignette items)
Time frame: Baseline survey period (January 19, 2026 - April 30, 2026), and follow-up survey period (April 1, 2027 - July 31, 2027)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Feb 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Claudia Spies, MD, Prof. study director
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (CCM/CVK), Charité - University Medicine Berlin
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Sepsis, run by Claudia Spies at 1 site in Ghana.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Ghana. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Claudia Spies, MD, Prof. (+49 30 450 55 11 02, claudia.spies@charite.de), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Sepsis - Knowledge - Score (time frame: Baseline survey period (January 19, 2026 - April 30, 2026) and follow-up survey period (April 1, 2027 - July 31, 2027)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 Feb 2026.