Quality and Outcomes Reports - Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine

Cystic Fibrosis: Lung Function in Children 

Why we measure it - Healthy lungs are important for a long life. Lung function tests evaluate how well a child's lungs work. A forced expiratory volume test measures the amount of air a child can exhale with force in one breath. These types of tests can help diagnose lung problems and evaluate the effectiveness of treatments and therapies.

What this means - Based on the most recent data provided by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Data Registry, school-age children managed at our center have lung function above the national average. More specifically, these outcomes place our center among the top 10 centers in the country for pulmonary outcomes in school-age children.

About the data - Data are collected by each cystic fibrosis center in the country and entered into a database which is analyzed by clinical experts at the CF Foundation. The foundation ranks the top 10 performing centers in 25 clinical areas and publishes this data on their website.

Related dimensions of care:

What we're doing to provide the best care:

  • The Cystic Fibrosis Center at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin was one of the 2010 recipients of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Quality Care Award: Recognizing Outstanding Quality Improvement Processes and Accomplishments.
  • Lung function tests are performed as part of each clinic appointment. A respiratory therapist reviews medications and chest clearance techniques with the CF individual as part of this program.
  • In 2005 our CF center was invited to participate in the CF Foundation Quality Improvement Initiative. Our CF center standardized our CF treatment therapies and began offering multiple options of chest clearance. Our QI initiative has improved our pulmonary outcomes and has promoted us in our rankings so that we are now among the top 10 centers in the country.
  • According to recent surveys, the Pulmonary Clinic and Sleep Center at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin was ranked No. 19 by U.S. News & World Report.
  • Pulmonologists at Children's Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin conduct research to develop better treatments, enabling them to stay on the cutting edge of the latest therapies.

Patients and families:

  • If you cannot keep a scheduled appointment, please call Central Scheduling at (877) 607-5280 or (414) 607-5280 as soon as possible to reschedule so another child can be seen.
  • Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment so we can gather relevant information from you before you see the doctor.
  • Each clinic appointment will include a breathing test (PFT) and consultations with other team members which can make appointments lengthy. Please expect to spend several hours for a clinic appointment.

Referring physicians:

  • Referring physicians can access our specialists for consultation or transport 24 hours a day. Call our physician referral line at (800) 266-0366.  
  • Health care providers from outside of our southeastern Wisconsin service area are encouraged to use our web-based
    e-Consult service. This service is available for non-urgent patient cases only and gives providers access to our specialists to review patient cases, obtain medical advice or second opinions, and receive care recommendations for rare symptoms and illnesses.
    e-Consult is not to be used by the general public, parents/guardians or families.
  • Care guidelines for medical professionals
  • Educational materials
  • Pocket Directory

If you have questions about this data or information, email us or call (414) 266-6556.