Lung Cancer Surgery: Decisions Against Life Saving Care - The Intervention

Purpose: Overall lung surgery rates and black/white disparities have not improved during a decade of documentation. The goal of this study is to incorporate lessons from the previous prospective cohort study to optimize lung cancer surgery rates and narrow black-white disparities for patients diagnosed with stage I or II, non-small cell lung cancer.

Participants: Stage I and II, non-small cell lung cancer at 3 participating sites. Procedures: Phase I of the study has been completed. Phase I was a deidentified 3-year, retrospective chart review, used to establish the baseline surgical rates for the intervention. The patient enrollment phase of the study will move forward that will include use of a real time registry to follow patient progression through clinical follow up, diagnostic testing and treatment for biopsy proven or highly probable early stage, non-small cell lung cancer. The patient enrollment portion of the study will start, September 2012. All patients with Stage I or II non-small cell lung cancer who enroll in the study will be entered into real time registries at every site. Patients' progress through the registries including follow-up provider visits, diagnostic tests, and procedures will be transparent and any missed appointments will be flagged. Feedback will be given to lung cancer providers in both arms. The randomized trial will compare patients who receive usual care plus the registry to those who receive the registry plus visits and calls from a trained cancer communicator -educator (CCE) who is well versed in issues specific to lung cancer and trained in active listening and communication that accounts for patients' limitations in health literacy. The CCE will also use Kleinman's Patient Model to identify attitudes or beliefs that represent barriers to recommended care that could potentially be addressed through negotiation and more targeted communication.

The hypothesis is that an electronic warning system, data transparency, and enhanced communication will optimize lung surgery rates and reduce racial gaps.

Note that the registry intervention will be compared to historical controls obtained from the electronic chart review. The main outcome will be receipt of lung resection surgery and this outcome will be assessed controlling for age, race, education, income, perceptions of communication, co-morbid illnesses, and level of health literacy.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age 21 years or greater;
2. A probability of 60% or higher of a lung lesion being malignant as calculated by a Bayesian algorithm using clinical and radiographic characteristics or biopsy proven disease; and
3. The patient has been clinically classified as having stage I or II disease.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. incarceration / ward of the state status,
2. Severe cognitive impairment. If a patient meets the inclusion criteria but is consistently unable to comprehend survey questions during the interview process, we will exclude that patient from the overall study.
3. absolute contraindications by pulmonary function testing (FEV-1 \< 25% of predicted)
4. Non-English speaking. Hispanic patients represent less than 4 percent of lung cancer patients in North Carolina restricting our ability to document an intervention effect.