Lung Cancer Screening Research Project
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the U.S. and accounts for approximately 1 in 5 cancer-related deaths. Approximately 1 out of every 7 adults in the U.S. is a current smoker and another 1 out of 5 is a former smoker. Unfortunately, smoking is concentrated among particular populations, such as those with lower educational attainment.
Low-Dose Computed Tomography
Low-Dose Computed Tomography is a tool for lung cancer screening (LCS) and is recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. However, the LCS it is not widely used and there are major gaps in utilization of LCS. While many might benefit from LCS, there are potential risks and harms that need to be considered in relation to an individual’s particular risk factors. Patients and providers are strongly recommended to discuss the potential benefits, limitations, potential harms, and options to ensure an informed decision is made together, known as a Shared Decision Making.
Implementation and Use
Implementing LCS widely among healthcare settings such as free clinics and other safety-net healthcare systems that provide primary care regardless of an individual’s ability to pay, could have a powerful impact on reducing deaths and negative health outcomes associated with smoking. The LUNG-IS is a Special Interest Project (SIP) that aims to increase the reach of LCS among healthcare settings and populations that often do not utilize the LCS to address cancer-related health outcomes.
The LUNG-IS team uses community-engaged dissemination and implementation (CEDI) research to collaborate with key personnel working in these safety-net healthcare systems in research-practice partnerships to understand the technical and time constraints of clinical staff providing care for their patients. Collaborating with three free clinics in Utah, the LUNG-IS project will work in concert with these community partners to co-create approaches that leverage strengths and reduce barriers within specific communities to achieve the potential of lung cancer screening.
LUNG-IS utilizes an existing Centralized Hub technical infrastructure that identifies potentially eligible patients through their electronic health record and sends an automated text message to reduce the burden on clinic staff. The text message provides patients with the opportunity to be screened for LCS eligibility. Patients who wish to be screened can either respond “YES” to the text message or call the Hub themselves. Patients are then assisted with navigation through various digital health tools that provide personalize guidance, in English or Spanish, through a telehealth voice or video visits with a Community Health Worker who works with the patient in shared decision making about their potential risks and benefits of completing LCS while assisting with addressing logistical barriers such as transportation constraints.
Project Goals
THE LUNG-IS project aims to increase the reach of lung cancer screen among safety-net health care settings and their patients. Leveraging existing infrastructure and pathways to care, we will evaluate the effect of implementation strategies on LCS eligibility screening, Shared Decision Making, and completion of the LCS, characterize the multi-level factors that influence implementation and effectiveness outcomes, and identify and classify adaptations to implementation strategies throughout the study.
Lung-IS Special Interest Project Team
Chelsey Schlechter, PhD
Co-Principal Investigator, Special Interest Project
David Wetter, PhD
Co-Principal Investigator Special Interest Project, Co-Principal Investigator Prevention Research Center
The LUNG-IS Special Interest Project is supported by the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Center (SIP 24-003), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
