It Takes a Village of Clinicians: Improving Lung Cancer Screening Uptake and Adherence

It Takes a Village of Clinicians: Improving Lung Cancer Screening Uptake and Adherence is organized by Med-IQ.

Initial Release Date: July 12, 2024
Expiration Date: July 11, 2025

Statement of Need:
In 2021, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published updated lung cancer screening guidelines, in which the recommended screening age was lowered from 55 to 50 years and smoking history was reduced from 30 to 20 pack-years, essentially expanding eligibility criteria for screening. Unfortunately, fewer than 10% of eligible patients undergo any lung cancer screening. Primary care providers, nurses, and pharmacists are key in improving the implementation and uptake of lung cancer screening. However, limited knowledge of screening guidelines, difficulty determining patient eligibility for screening, and low use of shared decision making with eligible patients about undergoing screening are provider-level barriers contributing to low rates of lung cancer screening.

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participants should be able to:

• Summarize the 2021 USPSTF guideline recommendations for lung cancer screening, referral, and follow-up
• Apply eligibility criteria from the 2021 USPSTF guidelines to identify patients for whom lung cancer screening is recommended
• Integrate key information about lung cancer screening into shared decision-making discussions with eligible patients