Breath of Relief: Upholding Inhaler Administration Adherence in Schools

Background: Asthma management in the school setting has become a joint initiative in the early stages to improve children’s health. Regulations exist to guide the use of inhalers and the administration of medications within educational institutions. Objective: This quality improvement (QI) project aims to address and reduce the incidence of improper inhaler administration in schools. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted to establish the effectiveness of interactive education and personalized feedback systems in reducing medication errors. A six-month chart review (July 2023 – December 2023) of medication administration logs from Maricopa County schools was undertaken. The logs were analyzed for compliance with established protocols; no personal identifiers were recorded, rendering the study exempt from Internal Review Board (IRB) oversight. School staff accessed an interactive educational module on medication dosing and administration as part of their annual training. Biweekly audits of documentation logs were performed, and direct feedback was provided via email or phone to staff who had submitted logs with potential errors. Results: The intervention resulted in a 90% adherence rate with medication administration protocols. The Intellectus Statistics platform and Friedman Rank Sum test were utilized to analyze variable relationships suggesting a higher probability of accurate dosing following the educational intervention. Conclusion: The study highlights the need to support school nurses and uphold low medication error rates in schools. The findings advocate for the integration of specialized education and ongoing feedback mechanisms to ensure adherence to asthma medication administration guidelines.