Table 2.

Primary Care Physicians’ Perceptions and Practices in Pulmonary Nodule Management

	N	Median Physicia n Response (IQR)*	Physicians Who Strongly or Somewhat Agree (%)
When a lung nodule is detected on CXR or CT, I feel confident managing the workup.	247	2 (2-4)	55.5% (n = 137)
I prefer to manage lung nodule evaluation and follow-up myself rather than to have a specialist do so.	249	4 (3-5)	21.3% (n = 53)
I most commonly refer a patient with a pulmonary nodule or mass to a pulmonologist for evaluation.	248	2 (1-2)	75.4% (n = 187)
I most commonly refer a patient with a pulmonary nodule or mass to a surgeon for evaluation.	249	4 (2-4)	28.9% (n = 72)
I most commonly refer a patient with a pulmonary nodule or mass to an oncologist for evaluation.	248	4 (3-5)	24.2% (n = 60)

CXR, chest radiography; IQR, interquartile range.

^*Results do not include “not answered” or missing responses.

Median physician response according to Likert scale: 1 = strongly agree, 2 = somewhat agree, 3 = neither agree nor disagree, 4 = somewhat disagree, and 5 = strongly disagree.