According to a controlled, randomized trial published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, international brochure and a short video can help reduced conflicted feelings about whether to undergo the scan more than the informational brochure alone. By describing the potential benefits and risks of low-dose CT screening for lung cancer, it help increased the knowledge of patients and decision making process. 

The report of a study, which was conducted by Sam M. Janes, MBBS, Ph.D., and co-author had 229 participants at a London hospital who met any of three criteria used to select patients who may benefit from the screening. One measure was the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended a 30 or more pack-year smoking history in patients who quit less than 15 years ago.

In the note of the research, the studies show that fewer than two percent of the 7.5 million former smokers in the U.S. who are eligible for the screening indeed undergo the CT scan, even though it has been shown to reduce lung cancer mortality by 20 percent.

The most significant potential harms from screening come from detecting nodules, or small masses of tissue, that are usually benign but cause anxiety and may reduce additional scans or biopsies to determine if they are cancerous or not.

The senior author of the study and also the head of the Respiratory Research Department at University College London and director of London's Lung Cancer Board, Dr. Janes said that the goal was to have a reduction on a tool that would help facilitate a conversation between patients and their physicians and lead to shared decision-making, a requirement for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement in the U.S.

Dr. Janes added that they utilized feedback from other patients eligible for lung cancer screening to create a film that people from different educational backgrounds could understand and that presented the information in a clear, palatable, and straightforward manner.

They used a questionnaire to measure participants' knowledge before and after reading the 10-page brochure or reading the brochure and watching the five-and-a-half-minute video. The researchers also measured the level of conflict the participants experienced in deciding whether to be screened or not.

Mamta Ruparel, MBBS, PhD., lead study author and a researcher at the Lungs for Living Research Centre at University College London, said that there is an urgent unmet need to provide information to individuals considering lung cancer screening, but for this to be done in a non-intimidating, friendly and straightforward way. Ruparel made more emphasis by saying that this study demonstrates that an information film can enhance shared decision-making while reducing the conflicted feelings patients may have about undergoing the procedure without reducing low-dose CT screening participation.