Using Electronic Medical Records to Identify Potentially Eligible Study Subjects for Lung Cancer Screening with Biomarkers

Simple Summary Recent cancer screening trials have found that using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), compared to chest radiography, resulted in a significant reduction in lung cancer mortality. To effectively carry out this intervention, individuals at a high risk of developing lung cancer are targeted. However, accurately identifying and retaining these groups can be challenging. As electronic medical records (EMRs) contain important demographic and clinical information, they could be used to accurately identify subjects for screening. To determine whether EMRs can be used for this purpose, this paper examines the evidence around the use of EMRs in screening trials and the information contained in them that could be used to aid researchers in identifying eligible subjects. Lung cancer screening trials using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) show reduced late-stage diagnosis and mortality rates. These trials have identified high-risk groups that would benefit from screening. However, these sub-populations can be difficult to access and retain in trials. Implementation of national screening programmes further suggests that there is poor uptake in eligible populations. A new approach to participant selection may be more effective. Electronic medical records (EMRs) are a viable alternative to population-based or health registries, as they contain detailed clinical and demographic information. Trials have identified that e-screening using EMRs has improved trial retention and eligible subject identification. As such, this paper argues for greater use of EMRs in trial recruitment and screening programmes. Moreover, this opinion paper explores the current issues in and approaches to lung cancer screening, whether records can be used to identify eligible subjects for screening and the challenges that researchers face when using EMR data.