A Coordinated Approach to Implementing Low-Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening in a Rural Community Hospital.

Purpose: The authors describe a rural community hospital's approach to lung cancer screening using low-dose CT (LDCT) to address the high incidence of lung cancer mortality.

Methods: An implementation project was conducted, documenting planning, education, and restructuring processes to implement a lung cancer screening program using LDCT in a rural community hospital (population 64,917, Rural-Urban Continuum Code 5) located in a region with the highest lung cancer mortality in Oregon. The hospital and community partners organized the implementation project around five recommendations for an efficient and effective lung cancer screening program that accurately identifies high-risk patients, facilitates timely access to screening, provides appropriate follow-up care, and offers smoking cessation support.