Increasing the Documentation of Incentive Spirometry Use Amongst Pneumonia Patients

Abstract

Abstract Background This hospital-wide quality improvement project was performed at an urban community hospital in eastern North Carolina to increase the documentation of incentive spirometry. Aim To increase the documentation of incentive spirometry among pneumonia patients, using a multidisciplinary approach. Methods The project was implemented from August 2025 to December 2025, over 13 weeks. The Plan-Do-Study-Act framework was used. Data was collected monthly from the incentive spirometry documentation in the electronic health record. The selected population comprised the Registered Nurses and Respiratory Therapists at the project site. The total number of clinicians (Nurses and Respiratory Therapists) who documented incentive spirometry use for 438 unique patients during the implementation period was 214. Site liaisons met every week. Changes to the electronic health record were made to increase the visibility of incentive spirometry use and documentation. Incentive spirometry education was added to the patient's pneumonia education handbook. The intervention used was face-to-face education on the floor and via secure chat in the electronic health record to ensure that clinicians documented incentive spirometry correctly. Results Incentive spirometry use documentation increased from 67% in July 2025 to 90% in November 2025 and remained at 90% in January 2026 after the implementation period ended. Conclusion Ongoing education, electronic health record reminders, and increased inter-professional collaboration improved the consistency of incentive spirometry documentation among patients with pneumonia.