Evaluations of implementation at early-adopting lung cancer screening programs: Lessons learned

In the USA, low-dose computed tomography is recommended for screening individuals at high risk of lung cancer, and lung cancer screening is being adopted nationwide. Using the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) framework, this study interviewed staff from 11 sites which were involved in the early adoption of the screening program. Their goal was to investigate the implementation strategy at each site and identify the barriers to implementation and the solutions developed. All sites utilized a multidisciplinary team approach that involved a core planning group that included primary care representatives. An identified barrier to implementation was the difficulty of obtaining primary care buy-in. Strategies used to overcome this barrier included educational sessions, audit and feedback on local outcomes. In addition, identifying a program champion within different areas help facilitate intra-disciplinary communication. Additionally, some sites developed an electronic medical record based reminder to prompt primary care providers when a patient met eligibility criteria for the screening. Overall, this article highlights the challenges in implementing a lung cancer screening program and the importance of involving and considering primary care to improve implementation. These results help to inform more widespread implementation of lung cancer screening in the USA. Read the full article here.