2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer (Posters)-EP04.05. Impact of Magnitude of Lung Cancer Screening Benefit on Uptake

Pdf Summary

The study aimed to investigate how different communication strategies about the benefits of low-dose CT (LDCT) screening for lung cancer would impact physicians' willingness to refer individuals to a screening program and how potential participants would react to these strategies. The research involved interviews with 24 screening participants and 12 physicians, conducted over Zoom. The participants were presented with two strategies for explaining screening benefits, one indicating that 4 out of 5 people with screen-detected lung cancer would still die, and the other stating that 4 out of 5 would be cured. The results showed that physicians were confused about the magnitude of the screening benefits, even among those who were already referring individuals. This confusion affected their communication strategy. However, among participants willing to be screened, the potential benefit alone was sufficient to motivate them. The study suggested that major organizations should provide clear messages to physicians about the magnitude of the benefit to minimize confusion even among those inclined to refer people for screening. Most participants considered lung cancer screening as important as other types of cancer screening. The study also highlighted the need for better understanding of the perceived benefits of LDCT screening, with early detection and curability mentioned less frequently compared to co-morbidities and health education. Overall, the findings emphasized the importance of effective communication strategies in promoting lung cancer screening and the importance of providing clear information to both physicians and potential participants.

Asset Subtitle

David Yankelevitz

Meta Tag

Speaker David Yankelevitz

Topic Screening & Early Detection: Program Design

Keywords

communication strategies

low-dose CT screening

lung cancer

physicians

screening program

participants' reactions

confusion

magnitude

motivation

clear information