Factors that influence physician decision making for indeterminate pulmonary nodules.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Pulmonologists frequently encounter indeterminate pulmonary nodules in practice, but it is unclear what clinical factors they rely on to guide the diagnostic evaluation.

Objectives

To assess the current approach to the management of indeterminate pulmonary nodules and to determine the extent to which the addition of a hypothetical diagnostic blood test will influence clinical decision making.

Methods

Selected pulmonologists practicing in the United States were invited to participate in a conjoint exercise based on 20 randomly generated cases of varying age, smoking history, and nodule size. Some cases included the result of a hypothetical blood test. Each respondent chose from among three diagnostic options for a patient: noninvasive monitoring (i.e., serial

SUBMITTER: Vachani A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5475427 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature