2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer (ePosters)-EP01.04-001. A Programmatic Approach to Improve Efficiency in Lung Cancer Screening

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The lung cancer screening program at Montefiore Health System in New York was experiencing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in decreased referrals and delays in appointments. To address these issues, the program implemented a programmatic approach to improve efficiency. The program transitioned from being under the Department of Radiology to being a collaborative effort under the leadership of Thoracic Surgery and Radiology. Outreach efforts were reinitiated, and a practical guide called "6 Steps to Lung Cancer Screening" was created to facilitate referrals from the primary care network. Monthly review and quality assurance meetings were held with a multidisciplinary team to focus on program volume and addressing appointment delays. Additional staff, including a Nurse Practitioner, were brought in to enhance patient scheduling and data analysis.<br /><br />The results of these efforts were significant. The number of referrals increased steadily throughout 2021, with a median of 336 monthly referrals in the first five months of 2022. The time from referral to appointment was also reduced, from a median of 101 days in January 2021 to just 18 days by December 2021. The majority of the referral population was non-white, and a portion of patients with identified nodules were referred to a high-risk lung nodule clinic for management and follow-up.<br /><br />The multidisciplinary team approach and support from the Cancer Center were crucial in improving the efficiency of the lung cancer screening program. The decreased time to appointment allows for better handling of the expected increase in referral volume and improves patient engagement and compliance. These efforts also led to a new project funded by the BMS Foundation to increase access to lung cancer screening in the Bronx in Latinx and African American communities.<br /><br />Overall, the programmatic approach implemented at Montefiore Health System has successfully improved efficiency in the lung cancer screening program, leading to increased referrals, reduced appointment delays, and improved patient outcomes.

Asset Subtitle

Brendon Stiles

Meta Tag

Speaker Brendon Stiles

Topic Early Detection and Screening - Implementation Quality Control

Keywords

lung cancer screening program

Montefiore Health System

COVID-19 pandemic

referrals

appointment delays

programmatic approach

Thoracic Surgery

Radiology

patient scheduling

patient outcomes