Table 7.
Components necessary for a high-quality screening program: American College of Chest Physicians and American Thoracic Society 69
| Component | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Who is offered lung cancer screening | Use National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) criteria, risk calculator to identify eligible subjects |
| How often, and for how long, to screen | Follow NLST, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid criteria |
| How the CT scan is performed | Perform low-dose CT scans based on technical specifications |
| Identifying lung nodules | Policy on size threshold to label positive screening test |
| Structured reporting of screening results | Use Lung-RADS |
| Lung nodule management algorithm | Determine criteria for performing diagnostic procedures and entering patients into surveillance |
| Smoking cessation | Integrate within screening program |
| Patient and provider education | Use standardized materials, provider education |
| Data collection | Annually report data on each component of screening program as well as cancers diagnosed to central data registry |