REMINDers for Incentive Spirometry in PACU (REMIND-IS in PACU)

June 25, 2026 updated by: University of Colorado, Denver

Postoperative Utilization of Incentive Spirometry With and Without Electronic Patient Reminders in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)

The purpose of this study is to determine if the frequency of use of incentive spirometry during the stay in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) increases with visual and auditory electronic reminders, as compared to not having those reminders.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a pragmatic single-center alternating cluster study. We will enroll adult patients who require general anesthesia for surgery and receive an incentive spirometry device during their PACU stay. Automatic alarms to perform incentive spirometry will be set to either "ON" or "OFF" in alternating weeks. The hypothesis is that patients receiving automatic audible and visual alarms will have increased rates of adequate incentive spirometry breaths compared to patients receiving no alarms.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
231

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Colorado
      • Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80045
        • CU Anschutz

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • be 18 years or older;
  • have undergone a surgical procedure at the University of Colorado Hospital under general anesthesia;
  • have incentive spirometry ordered by their provider, or incentive spirometry must be part of the study site's standard-of-care which is implemented by hospital staff;
  • not have severe hearing or impaired visual acuity deficiency, in that they cannot hear or see the audible and visual signal of the InSee monitor.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • have a severe hearing or visual acuity impairment that prevents them from hearing or seeing the audible and visual signals of the InSee monitor;
  • have the inability to perform incentive spirometry due to refusal, cognitive impairment, neuromuscular weakness, anatomical or any other reasons (e.g., tracheotomy, oral surgery, unable to hold incentive spirometry device);
  • are a part of a vulnerable population (e.g., pregnant, minors, prisoners).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Alarm "ON" Cohort
The "ON" cohort will receive the standard-of-care instructions for IS and information about the auditory and visual reminders. The "ON" cohort patients will receive audible and visual signals from the InSee monitor attached to their incentive spirometer every 20 minutes and upon successfully reaching certain achievements.
Device: Alarms
The "ON" cohort patients will receive audible and visual signals from the InSee monitor attached to their incentive spirometer every 20 minutes and upon successfully reaching certain achievements.
Other Names:
  • Auditory and visual reminders
Placebo Comparator: Alarm "OFF" Cohort
The "OFF" cohort will receive only the standard-of-care instructions for IS. The "OFF" patients will receive no signals from the InSee monitor attached to their incentive spirometer.
Device: Alarms
The "ON" cohort patients will receive audible and visual signals from the InSee monitor attached to their incentive spirometer every 20 minutes and upon successfully reaching certain achievements.
Other Names:
  • Auditory and visual reminders

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Rate of Adequate IS Breaths Achieved in PACU
Time Frame: PACU stay (up to 3 hours)
Rate of adequate incentive spirometry breaths achieved by patients per hour for up to 3 hours during the PACU stay
PACU stay (up to 3 hours)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Rate of IS breaths attempted in PACU
Time Frame: PACU stay (up to 3 hours)
Rate of incentive spirometry breaths attempted by patients per hour for up to 3 hours during the PACU stay
PACU stay (up to 3 hours)
Time to first adequate IS breath
Time Frame: PACU stay (up to 3 hours)
The time it takes for the patient to achieve their first adequate IS breath, from the moment of being provided the IS device and instructions of use onward, during their PACU stay
PACU stay (up to 3 hours)
Duration of postoperative O2 therapy
Time Frame: Hospital stay (up to first 3 postoperative days)
The total postoperative length of oxygen therapy use from the time the patient arrives to PACU to the end of their O2 therapy
Hospital stay (up to first 3 postoperative days)
Presence of postoperative pulmonary complications
Time Frame: Hospital stay (up to first 3 postoperative days)
The number of study participants developing any pulmonary complications (including pneumonia, need for non-invasive ventilation (CPAP/BiPAP or reintubation for any reason and any duration) during the first 3 postoperative days
Hospital stay (up to first 3 postoperative days)
Individual postoperative pulmonary complications
Time Frame: Hospital stay (up to first 3 postoperative days)
The number of study participants developing each pulmonary complication (pneumonia, need for non-invasive ventilation (CPAP/BiPAP or reintubation for any reason and any duration) during the first 3 postoperative days
Hospital stay (up to first 3 postoperative days)
Need for ICU Admission after PACU
Time Frame: Hospital stay (up to first 3 postoperative days)
The frequency of patients requiring ICU admission immediately after their PACU stay
Hospital stay (up to first 3 postoperative days)
PACU Length of Stay
Time Frame: PACU stay
The length of stay in the PACU
PACU stay

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Colorado, Denver

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Ana Fernandez-Bustamante, MD, PhD, University of Colorado School of Medicine

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 25, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 30, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
October 3, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 20, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 4, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 12, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 30, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 25, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 23-2470

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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