| dc.description.abstract | Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Prevention and early detection of lung cancer are imperative in decreasing lung cancer mortality. Screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) decreases lung cancer by 20%. Several organizations introduced lung cancer screening (LCS) guidelines in 2013, including Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) and the United States Preventive Services Task Force. However, LCS participation for eligible patients remains low, due in part to the complexity of the LCS process. The goal of this practice improvement project was to increase the knowledge of rural primary care providers regarding LCS guidelines and the related CMS requirements and to increase their confidence in initiating shared decision-making (SDM) discussions. An educational intervention consisting of a LCS educational session and a toolkit was implemented in two rural clinics. Providers at both clinics reported a benefit to the educational intervention. Pre-, immediate post-, and two-month post-education surveys were collected to evaluate the impact of the educational intervention, including provider knowledge of LCS guidelines and CMS requirements, and confidence in SDM. Project results demonstrated an increased knowledge of LCS guidelines and CMS requirements with the greatest knowledge at immediate post-education and a high level of knowledge remaining at two months post-education. A small, nonsignificant, increase in provider confidence in initiating SDM discussions occurred. At both clinics, data collected through chart audit demonstrated an improvement in documentation needed to determine LCS eligibility and increased the percentage of patients identified at high risk for lung cancer and thus, eligible for LCS. At one clinic these changes were significant. The data were further examined for SDM discussions and referrals for LDCT or to specialist for LCS with one clinic increasing SDM documentation and LDCT referrals post-education. In conclusion, although further research is needed in implementation processes of LCS, specifically in consistent documentation to improve determination of LCS eligibility of patients, this practice improvement project found education increased provider knowledge and ability to complete requirements needed to improve LDCT screenings for lung cancer. | en_US |
