Implementation of a lung cancer screening program at an urban safety-net hospital: enabling solutions via stakeholder...

Lung cancer screening (LCS) has been shown to reduce lung cancer mortality; however, numerous obstacles impede the successful development and expansion of LCS programs, particularly in underserved communities where uptake is limited. Neighborhood disadvantage plays a significant role, as numerous studies have elucidated the influence of race, ethnicity, income, and other measures of social disadvantage on LCS, as well as lung nodule surveillance programs. Successful development and expansion of LCS and nodule programs in inner-city hospitals can be an important means of improving health equity. The present commentary describes the key elements, challenges, and solutions involved in the successful implementation of an LCS program in an urban safety-net hospital, focusing on high-impact relationships with intra-institutional and system-level stakeholders.