Can Austrian Lung Specialists' Assessments of Lung Cancer Screening be Influenced by a Fact Box?"

Overview

Lung cancer is the most frequently dianosed cancer worldwide. To date, no screening method has been able to establish itself as routinely recommended by the guidelines. In this prospective study with 1:1 randomized questioning using an Internet tool, physicians will be asked in 2 phases (before and after intervention with a fact box) about their assessment of the benefits and risks of lung cancer screening by thoracic computed tomography and about a potential intention to change referral behavior. Randomly assigned, half of the participants will receive the same information in addition to the fact box graphically presented as a Cates plot.

The topic of lung cancer screening is highly topical and relevant in that this cancer is the most frequently diagnosed worldwide and has the highest mortality among malignancies. To date, no screening method has been able to establish itself as routinely recommended by the guidelines. In the recently published Dutch-Belgian NELSON study on low dose thoracic CT as a screening method in high-risk patients (smokers and ex-smokers), an - albeit small - reduction in mortality was shown in the screening group vs. the control group). A prerequisite for a detailed information of the patient about the implementation as well as the advantages and disadvantages of screening is that the physician has risk competence and knows and is able to interpret the screening data. The use of a fact box can be used to improve knowledge of statistical data. In this prospective study with 1:1 randomized questioning using an Internet tool, physicians will be asked in 2 phases (before and after intervention with a fact box) about their assessment of the benefits and risks of lung cancer screening by thoracic computed tomography and about a potential intention to change referral behavior. Randomly assigned, half of the participants will receive the same information in addition to the fact box graphically presented as a Cates plot.