Perspectives on Managing Solitary Pulmonary Nodules: A Survey of Primary Care Physicians

Abstract

Primary care physicians (PCPs) may be involved in the evaluation of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) detected through lung cancer screening. Little is known about their perspectives on the management or the referral of SPN. Using the American Medical Association's Physician Masterfile, we randomly surveyed 1384 PCPs between January and October 2015 with an 18% response rate. A subset analysis was performed on SPN management and referral practices of PCP. These results and those relating to practice characteristics were compared between family practice and internal medicine physicians. Responders and nonresponders did not differ by demographic characteristics. A total of 137 (55.5%) PCPs reported feeling confident in managing the workup of imaging-detected SPN. However, only 53 PCPs (21.3%) were inclined to manage the evaluation and follow-up of SPN. There was no significant difference between family practice and internal medicine physicians with regard to years in practice, size of practice, or referral to specialists. Family practitioners and internists similarly disagreed or were neutral to self-managing SPN (P = 0.60). Internists were twice as likely to express confidence as family practitioners (odds ratio 1.95, 95% confidence interval 1.09-3.48). Among all PCPs, 75.4% would refer management of these patients to a pulmonologist, 28.9% to a surgeon, and 24.2% to an oncologist. Confidence did not predict lung cancer screening practices. Although more than half of PCPs expressed confidence in the workup of SPN, most preferred referral to specialists. Additional research is needed to understand barriers to PCP management of incidental SPN in the effort to facilitate lung cancer screening.