2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer (Posters)-EP04.06. Compliance with Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines Among At-Risk Patients at a Rural Teaching Hospital in West Texas

EP04.06. Compliance with Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines Among At-Risk Patients at a Rural Teaching Hospital in West Texas - PDF(Abstract)

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This study aimed to assess compliance with lung cancer screening guidelines among at-risk patients at a rural teaching hospital in West Texas. Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, but screening for the disease is underutilized. The study focused on identifying gaps or disparities in screening and treatment among specific patient populations, with a focus on gender, race, and ethnicity.<br /><br />The researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients in the University Medical Center health system from 2018 to 2022. They included patients who were 50 to 80 years old and met lung cancer screening guidelines. The primary outcome was subsequent lung cancer screening within the recommended timeframe based on the initial lung-RADS score. The researchers analyzed the data using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests.<br /><br />The study included 561 patients, the majority of whom were male, white, and non-Hispanic. The initial screening showed that 82.0% had a lung-RADS score of 2 or lower, indicating low suspicion for lung cancer. However, more than half of the initial sample did not receive follow-up screening according to guidelines. Only 33.8% of patients with a lung-RADS score of 3 received a second scan within 6 months. There was a statistically significant difference in follow-up compliance based on gender, with a higher percentage of males lost to follow-up compared to females.<br /><br />The researchers concluded that while there was no serious disparity in follow-up among racial and ethnic minorities, there is a need to improve the retention of patients in the screening pipeline. Future efforts should focus on encouraging all patients, especially males, to adhere to screening guidelines. This may involve identifying barriers to follow-up and increasing patient education and outreach.<br /><br />In summary, this study found that compliance with lung cancer screening guidelines was low among at-risk patients at a rural teaching hospital in West Texas. Further efforts are needed to improve screening adherence and reduce disparities, particularly among males.

Asset Subtitle

Kavya Bharathidasan

Meta Tag

Speaker Kavya Bharathidasan

Topic Screening & Early Detection: Recruitment & Screening Uptake

Keywords

lung cancer screening

compliance

guidelines

at-risk patients

rural teaching hospital

West Texas

gender disparities

racial disparities

ethnic disparities

retrospective cohort study