As a grantee of the 2024 Curebound Equity Grant, Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD) and UC San Diego Health (UCSD) are collaborating to improve access to lung cancer screening (LCS) among low-income, tobacco-using patients in San Diego County. The project, Enhancing Lung Cancer Screening Engagement for Primary Care Patients in Low-Income Communities, focuses on building equity in cancer prevention by strengthening the clinical systems that identify, refer, and support high-risk individuals through LCS and follow-up care.
The program utilizes a multicomponent approach that includes: 1) electronic health record (EHR) enhancements to improve screening eligibility documentation and referrals, 2) training and implementation of smartphrases and decision aids to guide provider actions, 3) proactive tobacco treatment and patient navigation supports, and 4) a pilot test of an enhanced LCS care pathway with bidirectional eReferral to imaging centers and cancer care services.
This initiative aims to a) assess the feasibility and acceptability of LCS engagement within primary care, b) identify barriers and facilitators of equitable access to LCS, particularly among LGBTQ+, substance use, and racially diverse groups, and c) improve care infrastructure for preventive cancer services. By embedding these enhancements in a large urban Federally Qualified Health Center, the program seeks to advance scalable, culturally responsive solutions that reduce disparities in lung cancer detection and outcomes.