Telephone-Based Shared Decision-making for Lung Cancer Screening in Primary Care

The national rate of lung cancer screening, approximately 3–5%, is too low and strategies which include shared decision-making and increase screening are needed. A feasibility study in one large primary care practice of telephone-based delivery of decision support via an online tool, the Decision Counseling Program© (DCP) was administered to patients eligible for lung cancer screening according to USPSTF screening guidelines. We collected data on demographics, decisional conflict, and conducted chart audits to ascertain screening. From electronic medical record data, we identified 829 age-eligible current or former smokers. Of the 297 individuals reached, 54 were eligible and 28 were recruited to the study and 20 underwent the DCP© intervention. Participants in the intervention were more likely to complete low-dose CT scans at 90 days. Current smokers were less likely to complete the DCP. Women were less likely to complete LDCT. This non-persuasive, high-quality shared decision-making intervention significantly increased lung cancer screening and was feasible in real-world clinical care. This intervention offers a promising model whereby patients can be supported in a decision, based on their values and beliefs while also supporting gains in lung cancer screening.