Digital tools to increase lung cancer screening at free community clinics
Digital Health Implementation Strategies to Improve Lung Cancer Screening Among Safety-Net Clinics
This project will use digital outreach and a centralized hub to help people who smoke at free clinics get yearly low-dose CT lung cancer screening.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11186962 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The project partners with three Utah free clinics over three years and uses digital outreach, eligibility checks, and care coordination through a centralized hub to connect patients with low-dose CT screening. Researchers will collect clinic data before and after the program and gather staff and patient feedback using mixed methods. The approach is built into existing clinic workflows and focuses on clinics serving low-income and Latino patients. The team aims to identify practical implementation strategies that help clinics find eligible patients, send reminders, and support appointments for screening.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who are current or former smokers who meet USPSTF lung cancer screening criteria and receive care at the participating Utah safety-net/free clinics.
Not a fit: People who do not meet lung cancer screening eligibility (for example, never-smokers or those below the age or pack-year thresholds) or who do not attend the participating clinics are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help more eligible people in under-resourced clinics get screened earlier, which may detect cancer sooner and reduce deaths.
How similar studies have performed: Previous programs using navigation and reminders have improved screening rates, but using centralized digital hubs in free clinics is a newer approach with limited prior testing.
Where this research is happening
Salt Lake City, United States
- Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah — Salt Lake City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Estabrooks, Paul — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Estabrooks, Paul
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.