Recognizing lung cancer screening barriers can increase number of eligible patients screened

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by Anna Munhin May 21, 2023 News
Recognizing lung cancer screening barriers can increase number of eligible patients screened
  • With insight from target patient groups, new strategies to encourage lung cancer screening were put into action and were successful in some patient demographics.
  • Messaging on lung cancer screening was important.

According to research presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference, there was an increase in low-doseCT for black and Hispanic individuals after addressing screening barriers.

Tailoring recruitment strategies for lung cancer screening to address the specific barriers and motivators of the target patient population was highlighted in the research findings. Improvements to referral pathways might be needed to better meet the needs of the patient.

Quote from Stefanie Murphy

Murphy and colleagues refined marketing strategies for the Temple Healthy Chest Initiative after conducting four focus groups with patients aged 50 to 80 years who were insured and either current or former smokers.

Patients lack of knowledge on lung cancer screening, lack of trust with medical systems, and concerns about cost, time and transportation are some of the issues researchers planned to target in their marketing recruitment and retention plan.

Half or more of the patients in every focus group were African American and from North Philadelphia.

After hearing out patients, researchers came up with five strategies to encourage low-doseCT screening.

Sharing educational material that was culturally relevant and expressed in multiple languages was one of the first strategies researchers used to encourage more patients to get screened for lung cancer. One medium used was a website that featured stories from patients and a calculator. Advertising on social media, the radio and on search engines were some of the ways in which this information was distributed.

Lung cancer screening messages can be difficult to deliver due to low literacy levels. This understanding will allow us to create more concise and straightforward communications that direct readers to video content in multiple languages. This approach can help increase awareness of the benefits of screening and screening logistics, as well as help patients understand their pack year, which is part of the screening criteria.

Advertising messages were transitioned from "lung cancer screening" to "chest screening" The message about screening was changed to be more positive and hopeful.

Murphy told Healio that it was important to discover that traditional messaging such as 'Lung Cancer Screening Saves Lives' may come across as too threatening for some populations. To encourage initial engagement, we need to change our messaging strategy to emphasize positive framing, such as 'chest screenings' or 'know your lung health'. The patient showing interest can lead to more in-depth discussions about cancer screening. The patient population needs to feel like they have control over their health care decisions.

Murphy said that the new messaging for the THCI highlighted the support they offer.

She told Healio that the focus group participants had difficulties navigating the health care system. We shifted our messaging to emphasize the support provided by Temple's Health Chest nurse navigators, who can assist patients with everything from scheduling appointments to reviewing results.

According to the abstract, the last strategy the THCI put into action was to create referral pathways for primary care providers.

Murphy said that their approach to gaining a better understanding of their audience was unique. The Temple Center for Urban Bioethics and the Klein College of Media and Communications were used to conduct primary research and facilitate community building and outreach. We were able to encourage fresh perspectives that had an immediate impact on increasing low-doseCT volumes.

More eligible patients will be brought in by using these strategies.

Murphy told Healio that they are focused on making a meaningful impact on lung cancer screening volumes and equity.