Annals of the American Thoracic Society
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Rationale: Lung cancer screening with low-dose chest computed tomography decreases mortality for high-risk current or former smokers. Lifetime smoking intensity (cigarette pack-years), an essential eligibility criterion, is poorly recorded in electronic health records, which may contribute to the overall low appropriate use of screening. Objectives: We sought to assess whether elements commonly extractable from electronic health records may be useful as prescreening tools to identify individuals for formal assessment of eligibility. ⋯ Conclusions: These simplified criteria may be useful for identifying individuals who are eligible for lung cancer screening. Applying these criteria as a prescreening tool may improve appropriate referral and implementation of screening. Keywords: lung cancer; early detection of lung cancer; cancer prevention; tobacco abuse.