Project 467600

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada and is responsible for a quarter of all cancer-related deaths in the country. Screening for lung cancer using tools such as a CT scan can allow us to find lung cancers when they are still small and curable. People can receive a lung CT scan depending on how old they are and for how long they have smoked cigarettes. Certain groups of people, particularly those who have fewer resources such as time and money, and those who experience injustice because of who they are and how they look are less likely to participate in lung cancer screening. To date, I have partnered with patients, providers and decision-makers to co-design a learning module that can educate healthcare providers on appropriate and timely ways to talk to patients about lung cancer screening. The learning module includes case studies, videos and quizzes that are designed to educate healthcare providers on how life experiences shape smoking behaviour and lung cancer risk. In this project, I will continue to partner with patients, providers and decision-makers to implement the module to reflect the needs and priorities of all stakeholders (including patient partners), and co-evaluate the uptake of the module. Once the module has been implemented and evaluated in Ontario, we can apply the learnings to support the national and international delivery of fair and just lung screening to improve health outcomes for all. The learnings from this study have broader implications for how we partner with patients to improve cancer care for all patients and across all aspects of the cancer journey.