Digital Health Innovations in Lung Cancer Screening: Impacts and Insights

A new article in JAMAdescribes a direct-to-patient digital health program that increased lung cancer screening uptake by roughly 60% versus usual care and improved low‑dose CT completion in an implementation study.

Digital outreach targeted common barriers—limited access, low awareness, and scheduling hurdles—and shifted the operational landscape for screening programs. Importantly, the intervention was delivered as direct-to-patient digital outreach rather than a clinic-based workflow change, which has different implementation and staffing implications.

Patient education, scheduling, and navigation delivered through digital tools reduced no-shows and facilitated timely follow-up. Paired with robust navigation or pretest counseling, outreach can limit unnecessary invasive workups while improving the patient experience.