Bill No. 1686 establishes new legal requirements for hospitals in Oklahoma regarding the identification and treatment of sepsis. It mandates that hospitals create, implement, and regularly update evidence-based protocols for early detection and management of sepsis and septic shock. These protocols must include screening for both healthcare-acquired and community-acquired sepsis, guidelines for treatment, and specific training for clinical staff. Additionally, the protocols must account for population-specific variations in sepsis treatment, such as those for perinatal, neonatal, pediatric, and adult patients.

The bill also outlines the clinical criteria that third-party payors and managed care organizations must use for sepsis diagnosis, aligning with the ICD-10-CM coding system. Specifically, it requires that a provider's diagnosis of sepsis be supported by the presence of a suspected or confirmed infection source and at least two symptoms indicative of an inflammatory response. The act is set to take effect on November 1, 2025.