Table 3.
Changes in lung cancer screening knowledge before and after viewing the decision aid (n=219)
| Question | Pre, correct answer n (%) |
Post, correct answer n (%) |
Difference n (%) | P value |
| Who do you think is more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime? People who get screened*/People are equally likely to be diagnosed/People who do NOT get screened |
39 (17.8) | 79 (36.1) | 40 (+18.3) | <0.001 |
| All lung cancers will eventually cause illness and death if they are not found and treated. True/False*/Don’t know |
35 (16.0) | 120 (54.8) | 115 (+38.8) | <0.001 |
| When screening finds cancer, doctors can tell whether it will ever cause harm. True/False*/Don’t know |
44 (20.1) | 142 (64.8) | 98 (+44.7) | <0.001 |
| Even lung cancers that may not cause any health problems are likely to be treated. True*/False/Don’t know |
161 (73.5) | 171 (78.1) | 10 (+4.6) | 0.21 |
| Screening leads some people with a harmless cancer to get treatment they do not need. True*/False/Don’t know |
48 (21.9) | 155 (70.8) | 107 (+48.9) | <0.001 |
| Screening tests find harmless lung cancers about as often as they prevent death from lung cancer. True*/False/Don’t know |
69 (31.5) | 125 (57.1) | 56 (+25.6) | <0.001 |
| Which of these two statements best describes over-detection from screening? Screening finds an abnormality but extra tests show it is not cancer/ Screening finds a cancer that would never have caused trouble* |
38 (17.4) | 66 (30.1) | 28 (+12.7) | <0.01 |
| Out of 1000 people like you who get a low dose CT scan yearly for 3 years, about how many will be diagnosed with lung cancer? None/Very few (1–10)/Few (11–30)*/Some (31–200)*/Many (201–500)/Most (501–1000)/Don’t know |
85 (38.8) | 125 (57.1) | 40 (+18.3) | <0.001 |
| Out of 1000 people like you who get a low dose CT scan yearly for 3 years, about how many will have their lives prolonged from lung cancer screening? None/Very few (1–10)*/Few (11–30)*/Some (31–200)/Many (201–500)/Most (501–1000)/Don’t know |
36 (16.4) | 84 (38.4) | 48 (+22.0) | <0.001 |
| Out of 1000 people like you who get a low dose CT scan yearly for 3 years, about how many will be diagnosed with cancer that would not have needed treatment? None/Very few (1–10)*/Few (11–30)* /Some (31–200)/Many (201–500)/Most (501–1000)/Don’t know |
54 (24.7) | 101 (46.1) | 47 (+21.4) | <0.001 |
*Correct answer(s).