Beyond Pneumonia: A Dual-Cycle Initiative to Improve Imaging Compliance and Uncover Early Malignancy

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in adults. National guidelines by the British Thoracic Society (BTS) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommend follow-up chest imaging within six weeks for adults diagnosed with CAP to exclude underlying malignancy. Timely follow-up of radiological abnormalities in CAP is crucial, as infectious infiltrates can obscure early signs of malignancy. At our institution, follow-up imaging was often delayed or missed entirely, risking delayed cancer diagnosis. This quality improvement project (QIP) sought to quantify adherence to national guidelines and to assess whether low-cost interventions could improve compliance. The implementation of targeted, low-resource interventions significantly improved compliance with national guidelines. Ongoing efforts are necessary to sustain improvement and optimise patient outcomes.