Breathe Easy: A Quality Improvement Project to Enhance Pediatric Asthma Care Using Spirometry Protocol and Education.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is the most common childhood chronic disease in the United States and imposes a significant health care burden. Spirometry is a lung function test recommended routinely at well-child checks to assess asthma control. PROBLEM: Despite national guidelines recommending routine spirometry, it remains underutilized in primary care. METHODS: A quality improvement initiative integrated a spirometry eligibility protocol and provided education to APRNs and staff on spirometry administration and interpretation to improve its appropriate use among children with asthma. RESULTS: Spirometry utilization among eligible patients increased from 0% to 25.9% (χ2 [1, 100] = 12.78, p < .001), protocol adherence rate was 12.1%, and APRN perspective survey results increased by 14.8% (median = 20.25 [n = 4] vs. median = 23.25 [n = 4]; Z = -0.730, p = .465). CONCLUSIONS: Spirometry education and protocol integration increased spirometry utilization in primary care and improved APRNs' understanding of its role in pediatric asthma management.