Telehealth options to help people decide about lung cancer screening

Pragmatic Trial

NIH-funded research University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11187204

Comparing four telehealth ways to help adults eligible for lung cancer screening make informed decisions before getting low-dose CT scans.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Pennsylvania NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Philadelphia, United States)
Project IDNIH-11187204 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would be offered one of several telehealth approaches to support shared decision-making about low-dose CT lung screening. The team will use an adaptive design that can change which telehealth method someone receives based on how well earlier approaches work. The trial focuses on real-world clinics and uses both synchronous (live) and asynchronous (recorded or message-based) telehealth tools informed by communication science and behavioral economics. Researchers will also collect interviews and other qualitative data to understand what works best for different people.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults who meet current lung cancer screening eligibility (for example, people with a significant smoking history who meet guideline criteria) and who are considering or due for LDCT screening.

Not a fit: People who are not eligible for lung cancer screening under the guidelines or who cannot access telehealth (no internet/phone) are less likely to benefit from participation.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could make it easier for people to get high-quality decision support and increase appropriate use of lung screening while reducing unnecessary harms.

How similar studies have performed: Telehealth for shared decision-making has been suggested before but has not been rigorously tested in real-world lung cancer screening programs, so this adaptive approach is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Philadelphia, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.