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Effective Educational Approaches to Training Physicians About Lung Cancer Screening

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Abstract

In 2013, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommended low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for lung cancer screening (LCS) after a national trial demonstrated a 20% reduction in lung cancer mortality with LDCT. Implementation of LCS employing LDCT depends heavily on physician education regarding multiple factors, including eligibility criteria, potential benefits and harms, and shared decision-making. To date, there are no studies of educational approaches for teaching physicians about LCS. This study aims to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of implementing an interactive, group-based learning (GBL) curriculum to teach physicians about LCS. A prospective study was conducted at two nearby institutions from 2017 to 2019 comparing GBL with a lecture format as measured by total knowledge about LCS, acceptability of the educational format, and ease of implementation. We surveyed participants regarding total knowledge and format acceptance. Results were compared to determine whether GBL is an effective and feasible educational strategy for LDCT and LCS education. Residents and faculty participating in GBL demonstrated greater total knowledge compared with residents and faculty participating in the lecture format. Participants in both cohorts preferred a mix of GBL and lecture formats. All participants believed that GBL facilitates implementation of LCS better than lecture-based learning. GBL is an effective and feasible approach for educating physicians about LCS, though it is more time- and resource-intensive than a lecture approach. However, healthcare providers believe GBL will facilitate implementation of LCS more than lectures.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author (CPE) upon request.

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Funding

This study was partially supported by TUFCCC/HC Regional Comprehensive Cancer Health Disparity Partnership, Award Number U54 CA221704(5) (Contact PIs: Grace X. Ma, PhD and Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi, MD, PhD) from the National Cancer Institute of National Institutes of Health (NCI/NIH).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Katherine Ortmeyer

  2. Center for Asian Health, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Grace X. Ma

  3. Department of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Larry R. Kaiser & Cherie Erkmen

Authors
  1. Katherine Ortmeyer
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  2. Grace X. Ma
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  3. Larry R. Kaiser
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  4. Cherie Erkmen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cherie Erkmen.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

IRB approval was obtained from Temple University. The study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki.

Statement of Informed Consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Ortmeyer, K., Ma, G.X., Kaiser, L.R. et al. Effective Educational Approaches to Training Physicians About Lung Cancer Screening. J Canc Educ 37, 52–57 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01784-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01784-4

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