ASPO Abstracts
Characterizing Primary Care Clinician Information Needs and Implementation Strategies to Increase Lung Cancer Screening with Low Dose Computed Tomography
Category: Behavioral Science & Health Communication
Conference Year: 2020
Abstract Body:
Introduction: The National Lung Screening Trials (NLST) have demonstrated the efficacy of low dose chest
computed tomography (LDCT) for early detection of lung cancer. Unfortunately, utilization of LDCT remains
suboptimal. Increasing primary care clinician awareness of and knowledge towards LDCT may significantly impact
patient utilization of LDCT. This study seeks to characterize primary care clinicians’ information needs, education
preferences, and solutions to increase uptake of LDCT in their practices.
Methods: Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with 30 primary care clinicians (family medicine and
internal medicine) from federally qualified health centers, community, and academic primary care practice settings
throughout New Jersey. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data were analyzed
using content analytic procedures.
Results: Many clinicians expressed confidence in the results of the NLST to support the recommendation of LDCT
to their patients. Clinicians wanted additional information on billing for shared decision making and tools to help
assess patient eligibility of LDCT. Clinicians suggested piggybacking LDCT onto preventive cancer screening,
annual visits, and practice quality metrics to increase uptake within practices. Clinicians suggested continuing
medical education (electronic and/or seminars), educational presentations (grand rounds or department meetings),
or short educational briefs delivered electronically as avenues to improve awareness and increase knowledge of
lung cancer and LDCT is via. Clinicians also suggested targeted marketing in the form of in-clinic pamphlets and
posters to increase patient knowledge of LDCT.
Conclusions: Prioritizing clinician information needs, educational preferences, system-level solutions are
necessary to improve patient screening with LDCT. Strategies to increase uptake of LDCT and implementation
within practices should incorporate stakeholder engaged system-level interventions, such as those proposed
within this study.
Keywords: early detection of lung cancer; lung cancer screening; primary care; family medicine, internal medicine