WCLC 2025 - Posters & ePosters-EP.04.10 Evaluating Primary Care Practice’s LCS Smoking History Accuracy for Maori Patients - Implications for a Future Lung Cancer Screening Programme

EP.04.10 Evaluating Primary Care Practice’s LCS Smoking History Accuracy for Maori Patients - Implications for a Future Lung Cancer Screening Programme

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This study evaluates the accuracy of primary care smoking history records for Māori patients in New Zealand, focusing on implications for a future lung cancer screening (LCS) program. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in NZ, with Māori experiencing the highest incidence and mortality rates globally among Indigenous peoples. Early detection via LCS has demonstrated significant mortality reductions internationally.<br /><br />The study reviewed smoking data of 1,033 Māori participants aged 55-74, initially recorded as “never smokers” in primary care, and who were thus excluded from a lung cancer screening study. Participants were contacted via texts and up to three phone call attempts to confirm their smoking status. Results showed 17% were misclassified: 16% were actually ex-smokers and 1% were current smokers.<br /><br />Among those reclassified, 60% of current smokers and 51% of ex-smokers participated in the LCS study, with several qualifying for low-dose CT (LDCT) scans detecting early lung changes, including one case requiring follow-up. The misclassification rates aligned with findings from a comparable local screening audit for abdominal aortic aneurysm, which included Pacific participants.<br /><br />The study highlights persistent challenges in collecting high-quality smoking data in primary care, influenced by various enablers and barriers. Accurate smoking history is critical as LCS eligibility depends on smoking exposure. Due to the identified data gaps, relying solely on primary care records risks excluding eligible individuals, potentially worsening health inequities for Māori.<br /><br />To improve identification of eligible participants, the authors recommend incorporating additional strategies such as self-referral, family referrals, and stronger collaborations with Māori health providers alongside addressing barriers within primary care data collection systems. These steps are essential for equitable and effective implementation of a future lung cancer screening program targeting high-risk Māori populations.

Asset Subtitle

Sue Crengle

Meta Tag

Speaker Sue Crengle

Topic Screening and Early Detection

Keywords

Māori patients

New Zealand

primary care smoking history

lung cancer screening

lung cancer mortality

smoking status misclassification

low-dose CT scans

health inequities

data collection challenges

screening program implementation