A quality improvement initiative using EMR-based reminders and provider education achieved a 61.5% completion rate for low-dose CT lung cancer screening among eligible patients.
Does an educational intervention and EMR-based reminders improve LDCT lung cancer screening completion in eligible outpatient clinic patients?
A quality improvement initiative utilizing provider education and EMR reminders achieved a 61.5% lung cancer screening completion rate among eligible patients in a residency clinic.
Abstract Introduction Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer related mortality, and early detection through low dose CT (LDCT) screening has been shown to reduce deaths. Despite clear evidence and established guidelines, screening rates in outpatient settings remain low. In our residency clinic, gaps in identifying eligible patients and limited awareness of updated USPSTF criteria were key barriers to screening. Methods This quality improvement (QI) project was conducted at the Woodstock Residency Clinic over a two month period (32 days). Patients aged 50 to 80 years with a 20 pack year smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years were identified using USPSTF/CMS criteria (NM Order IMG200).The educational intervention included a focused session for residents and attending physicians highlighting eligibility criteria, screening workflow, and documentation steps within the EMR. Visual aids, including posters and pocket cards, were distributed to reinforce learning. Weekly team huddles addressed challenges and reviewed ordering processes.Data were extracted from clinic EMR reports to determine the total number of patients seen, those meeting screening eligibility, and LDCT completion among eligible patients. Sex specific data were also recorded. Results During the study period, 970 patients were seen in clinic. Of these, 874 (90 percent) did not meet screening criteria, most commonly due to non smoker status, less than 20 pack year history, or age outside the screening range. Ninety six patients (10 percent) met USPSTF/CMS eligibility. Among eligible patients, 48 were men and 48 were women. Thirty two of the 48 men (67 percent) and 27 of the 48 women (56 percent) completed LDCT, yielding an overall screening completion rate of 61.5 percent (59 of 96). Conclusions In this 32 day review, 61.5 percent of eligible patients completed LDCT screening under USPSTF/CMS criteria. These findings provide a clinic level snapshot of lung cancer screening uptake and highlight the importance of systematic identification and documentation of eligible patients. Integrating brief reminders during clinic huddles reinforced awareness and consistency in ordering LDCT, while visual tools such as posters and pocket cards maintained awareness of eligibility criteria among providers. The short study duration and single site design may limit generalizability, but continued education, reminders, and workflow reinforcement may further enhance screening rates and strengthen early detection efforts. This is an ongoing research effort, and over time we hope to encourage more patients to undergo lung cancer screening. This abstract is funded by: None
Shama et al. (Fri,) conducted a other in Lung cancer screening (n=970). EMR-based reminders and provider education was evaluated on Low-dose CT (LDCT) screening completion among eligible patients. A quality improvement initiative using EMR-based reminders and provider education achieved a 61.5% completion rate for low-dose CT lung cancer screening among eligible patients.