ACR Launches Lung Cancer Screening Education Program

May 18, 2015 – The American College of Radiology (ACR) now offers a comprehensive, interactive online education program to train radiologists how to implement a safe and effective lung cancer screening program. Program users can also earn credits toward Lung Cancer Screening Center physician continuing medical education (CME) needs. 

The interactive online program prepares attendees to:

• Determine parameters for low-dose screening chest computed tomography (CT);
• Recognize nodule characteristics that lead to suspicion of lung cancer or benignity;
• Implement management strategies of indeterminate nodular findings;
• Provide a structured report for lung cancer screening;
• Carry out patient-centered shared decision-making; and
• Implement National Comprehensive Cancer Network screening guidelines into clinical practice.

“The ACR Lung Cancer Screening Education program helps providers quickly and efficiently implement a lung cancer screening program and demonstrate the quality of that screening to patients, payers and Medicare,” said Eric Stern, M.D., co-chair of the ACR Lung Cancer Screening Education program.

The program integrates with all ACR lung cancer screening materials, including:

• The ACR Lung Cancer Screening Center program, which helps ensure exams are provided safely and effectively;

• ACR Lung-RADS, which standardizes exam reporting and management, aids lung CT interpretation and supports outcomes monitoring; and

• ACR/Society of Thoracic Radiology lung cancer screening practice parameters, which outline exam performance.

Providers can meet Medicare quality reporting requirements to receive payment for lung cancer screening exams by submitting data to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)-approved American College of Radiology (ACR) Lung Cancer Screening Registry.

The college will also offer a number of lung cancer screening sessions at ACR 2015, the new ACR annual meeting, May 17–21 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. These include:

• Lung Cancer Screening Q & A With the Experts: LungRADS, Registry and Reimbursement;
• Lung Cancer Screening: From Science to Practice;
• Lung Cancer Screening: CT Interpretation and Management; and
• Lung Cancer Screening: Implementations and Economic Considerations for a Screening Program
• Approach to Diffuse Lung Disease - Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation

For more information: www.acr.org