Boosting lung cancer screening for patients seen in the emergency department
Increasing Lung Cancer Screening Uptake Among Emergency Department Patients
This project will test whether giving eligible emergency department patients a facilitated referral plus text reminders helps more people get lung cancer screening.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 349 (estimated) |
| Ages | 50 Years to 80 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Rochester Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Rochester, New York) |
| Trial ID | NCT07287085 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Researchers will identify 300 emergency department patients at high risk for lung cancer based on age and smoking history and confirm they can receive text messages. Eligible participants will be randomized to either a basic referral (verbal plus written information) or a facilitated referral where staff submit a requisition to the screening program and the patient receives a series of text-message reminders. Participants will be followed for 120 days to compare lung cancer screening completion between the two groups. The design builds on prior feasibility work in the ED and targets a pragmatic, low-cost approach to increase screening uptake.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults aged 50–80 with a ≥20 pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years, who speak English, are current patients in the University of Rochester Medical Center emergency department, and who have a text-capable mobile phone are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who cannot use text messaging, who do not speak English, who are too medically unstable to consent, or who already have completed appropriate lung cancer screening are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could increase the number of high-risk patients who complete lung cancer screening, enabling earlier detection and treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Investigators' pilot work showed this approach was feasible in the ED, and text-message reminders have improved screening uptake in other settings, though ED-based facilitated referral for lung cancer screening is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 50 - 80 * ≥ 20 pack-year smoking history * current smoker or quit within 15 years * English speaking * Current patient in URMC involved Emergency Department Exclusion Criteria: * Non-English * Inability to provide consent (e.g. high clinical acuity, cognitive deficit) * Lack of text-capable mobile phone and/or inability to use text function * Not being a patient in URMC involved Emergency Department There are no restrictions for gender, racial and ethnic origins.
Where this trial is running
Rochester, New York
- University of Rochester — Rochester, New York, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Peter MacDowell
- Email: peter_macdowell@urmc.rochester.edu
- Phone: 585-274-1509
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.