Using AI to Design and Develop Online Educational Modules to Enhance Lung Cancer Screening Uptake Among High-Risk Individuals
Simple Summary
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Methods
2.1. Theoretical Framework
2.2. Ethical Considerations
2.3. Design Process
2.3.1. Phase 1: Needs Assessment
2.3.2. Phase 2: Content Development
2.3.3. Phase 3: Expert Review and Content Validation
2.3.4. Phase 4: Usability and Pilot Testing
2.4. Data Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Content Validation
3.2. Preliminary Efficacy
3.3. Usability Testing and Satisfaction
4. Discussion
4.1. Limitations
4.2. Implications for Practice and Research
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
- American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures. 2018. Available online: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2018/cancer-facts-and-figures-2018.pdf (accessed on 5 December 2025).
- American Cancer Society. Key Statistics for Lung Cancer. 2019. Available online: https://www.cancer.org/content/cancer/en/cancer/lung-cancer/about/key-statistics.html (accessed on 5 December 2025).
- American Cancer Society. Key Statistics for Lung Cancer. 2023. Available online: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/about/key-statistics.html (accessed on 5 December 2025).
- McCarthy, M. Task force recommends CT lung cancer screening for high-risk smokers and ex-smokers. BMJ 2014, 348, g56. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Hoffman, R.M.; Sussman, A.L.; Getrich, C.M.; Rhyne, R.L.; Crowell, R.E.; Taylor, K.L.; Reifler, E.J.; Wescott, P.H.; Murrietta, A.M.; Saeed, A.I.; et al. Attitudes and beliefs of primary care providers in New Mexico about lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography. Prev. Chronic Dis. 2015, 12, E108. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Lewis, J.A.; Petty, W.J.; Tooze, J.A.; Miller, D.P.; Chiles, C.; Miller, A.A.; Weaver, K.E. Low-dose CT lung cancer screening practices and attitudes among primary care providers at an academic medical center. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomark. Prev. 2015, 24, 664–670. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- United States Preventive Services Task Force. Lung Cancer: Screening. 2021. Available online: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/lung-cancer-screening (accessed on 5 December 2025).
- Jemal, A.; Fedewa, S.A. Lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography in the United States—2010 to 2015. JAMA Oncol. 2017, 3, 1278–1281. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Gressard, L.; DeGroff, A.S.; Richards, T.B.; Melillo, S.; Kish-Doto, J.; Heminger, C.L.; Rohan, E.A.; Allen, K.G. A qualitative analysis of smokers’ perceptions about lung cancer screening. BMC Public Health 2017, 17, 589. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Wiener, R.S.; Koppelman, E.; Bolton, R.; Lasser, K.E.; Borrelli, B.; Au, D.H.; Slatore, C.G.; Clark, J.A.; Kathuria, H. Patient and Clinician Perspectives on Shared Decision-making in Early Adopting Lung Cancer Screening Programs: A Qualitative Study. J. Gen. Intern. Med. 2018, 33, 1035–1042. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed] [PubMed Central]
- Carter-Harris, L.; Ceppa, D.P.; Hanna, N.; Rawl, S.M. Lung cancer screening: What do long-term smokers know and belief? Health Expect. 2017, 20, 59–68. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Patel, D.; Akporobaro, A.; Chinyanganya, N.; Hackshaw, A.; Seale, C.; Spiro, S.G.; Griffiths, C. Lung-SEARCH Investigators. Attitudes to participation in a lung cancer screening trial: A qualitative study. Thorax 2012, 67, 418–425. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Delmerico, J.; Hyland, A.; Celestino, P.; Reid, M.; Cummings, K.M. Patient willingness and barriers to receive a CT scan for lung cancer screening. Lung Cancer 2014, 84, 307–309. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed]
- McDonnell, K.K.; Estrada, R.D.; Dievendorf, A.C.; Blew, L.; Sercy, E.; Khan, S.; Hardin, J.W.; Warden, D.; Eberth, J.M. Lung cancer screening: Practice guidelines and insurance coverage are not enough. J. Am. Assoc. Nurse Pract. 2019, 31, 33–45. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed]
- Raz, D.J.; Wu, G.; Nelson, R.A.; Sun, V.; Wu, S.; Alem, A.; Haupt, E.C.; Ismail, M.H.; Gould, M.K. Perceptions and utilization of lung cancer screening among smokers enrolled in a tobacco cessation program. Clin. Lung Cancer 2019, 20, e115–e122. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Simmons, V.N.; Gray, J.E.; Schabath, M.B.; Wilson, L.E.; Quinn, G.P. High-risk community and primary care providers knowledge about and barriers to low-dose computed tomography lung cancer screening. Lung Cancer 2017, 106, 42–49. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed]
- Wildstein, K.A.; Faustini, Y.; Yip, R.; Henschke, C.I.; Ostroff, J.S. Longitudinal predictors of adherence to annual follow-up in a lung cancer screening programme. J. Med. Screen. 2011, 18, 154–159. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed]
- Carter-Harris, L.; Brandzel, S.; Wernli, K.J.; Roth, J.A.; Buist, D.S.M. A qualitative study exploring why individuals opt out of lung cancer screening. Fam. Pract. 2017, 34, 239–244. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Jonnalagadda, S.; Bergamo, C.; Lin, J.J.; Lurslurchachai, L.; Diefenbach, M.; Smith, C.; Nelson, J.E.; Wisnivesky, J.P. Beliefs and attitudes about lung cancer screening among smokers. Lung Cancer 2012, 77, 526–531. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed]
- Quaife, S.L.; Marlow, L.; McEwen, A.; Janes, S.M.; Wardle, J. Attitudes towards lung cancer screening in socioeconomically deprived and heavy smoking communities: Informing screening communication. Health Expect. Int. J. Public Particip. Health Care Health Policy 2017, 20, 563–573. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Lillie, S.E.; Fu, S.S.; Fabbrini, A.E.; Rice, K.L.; Clothier, B.; Nelson, D.B.; Doro, E.A.; Moughrabieh, M.A.; Partin, M.R. What factors do patients consider most important in making lung cancer screening decisions? Findings from a demonstration project conducted in the Veterans Health Administration. Lung Cancer 2017, 104, 38–44. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed]
- Williamson, T.J.; Walsh, L.E.; Rawl, S.M.; Carter-Bawa, L. Slipping through the cracks: Who is eligible but does not receive a healthcare provider recommendation for lung cancer screening? Lung Cancer 2023, 179, 107185. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed] [PubMed Central]
- Lei, F.; Lee, E. Barriers to Lung Cancer Screening With Low-Dose Computed Tomography. Oncol. Nurs. Forum 2019, 46, E60–E71. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Monestime, S.; Rigney, M.; Phipps, N.; Carlson, C.; Alongi, T.; Redding, M.; King, J.C. Health inequities across the lung cancer care continuum in ten marginalized populations: A narrative review. J. Thorac. Dis. 2023, 15, 6345–6361. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed] [PubMed Central]
- Strong, A.; Renaud, M. Using Social Media as a Platform for Increasing Knowledge of Lung Cancer Screening in High-Risk Patients. J. Adv. Pr. Oncol. 2020, 11, 453–459. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Odole, I.P.; Andersen, M.; Richman, I.B. Digital Interventions to Support Lung Cancer Screening: A Systematic Review. Am. J. Prev. Med. 2024, 66, 899–908. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Bitomsky, L.; Pfitzer, E.; Nißen, M.; Kowatsch, T. Advancing health equity and the role of digital health technologies: A scoping review. BMJ Open 2025, 15, e099306. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Fiste, O.; Gkiozos, I.; Charpidou, A.; Syrigos, N.K. Artificial Intelligence-Based Treatment Decisions: A New Era for NSCLC. Cancers 2024, 16, 831. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed] [PubMed Central]
- Maleki Varnosfaderani, S.; Forouzanfar, M. The Role of AI in Hospitals and Clinics: Transforming Healthcare in the 21st Century. Bioengineering 2024, 11, 337. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Carter-Harris, L.; Comer, R.S.; Slaven, I.I.J.E.; Monahan, P.O.; Vode, E.; Hanna, N.H.; Ceppa, D.P.; Rawl, S.M. Computer-Tailored Decision Support Tool for Lung Cancer Screening: Community-Based Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. J. Med. Internet Res. 2020, 22, e17050. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed] [PubMed Central]
- Miller, D.P.; Snavely, A.C.; Dharod, A.; Brenner, A.T.; Wright, E.; Stradtman, L.; Bellinger, C.R.; Bundy, R.; Volk, R.J.; Hamburger, E.; et al. A Direct-to-Patient Digital Health Program for Lung Cancer Screening: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2025, 334, 1807–1815. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Glanz, K.; Rimer, B.; Viswanath, K. Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice; Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA, USA, 2008; Available online: https://www.med.upenn.edu/hbhe4/ (accessed on 5 December 2025).
- Kim, S.; Choi, S.; Seo, M.; Kim, D.R.; Lee, K. Designing a Clinical Ethics Education Program for Nurses Based on the ADDIE Model. Res. Theory Nurs. Pract. 2020, 34, 205–222. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed]
- Lei, F.; Chen, W.T.; Brecht, M.L.; Zhang, Z.F.; Lee, E. Health beliefs toward lung cancer screening among Chinese American high-risk smokers: Interviews based on Health Belief Model. Int. J. Nurs. Sci. 2022, 9, 378–388. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed] [PubMed Central]
- Polit, D.F.; Beck, C.T. The content validity index: Are you sure you know what’s being reported? Critique and recommendations. Res. Nurs Health 2006, 29, 489–497. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Holle, D.; Roes, M.; Buscher, I.; Reuther, S.; Muller, R.; Halek, M. Process evaluation of the implementation of dementia-specific case conferences in nursing homes (FallDem): Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2014, 15, 485. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Housten, A.J.; Lowenstein, L.M.; Leal, V.B.; Volk, R.J. Responsiveness of a Brief Measure of Lung Cancer Screening Knowledge. J. Cancer Educ. 2018, 33, 842–846. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed] [PubMed Central]
- Cataldo, J.K.; Slaughter, R.; Jahan, T.M.; Pongquan, V.L.; Hwang, W.J. Measuring stigma in people with lung cancer: Psychometric testing of the cataldo lung cancer stigma scale. Oncol. Nurs. Forum 2011, 38, E46–E54. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed] [PubMed Central]
- Carter-Harris, L.; Slaven, J.E., 2nd; Monohan, P.; Rawl, S.M. Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Lung Cancer Screening Health Belief Scales. Cancer Nurs. 2017, 40, 237–244. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed] [PubMed Central]
- Lei, F.; Chen, W.T.; Brecht, M.L.; Zhang, Z.F.; Hu, Y.; Xu, T.; Wang, S.; Lee, E. Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Lung Cancer Screening Health Belief Scale in Chinese Americans: A Methodological Study. J. Nurs. Meas. 2023, 31, 489–501. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed]
- Brooke, J. SUS: A Quick and Dirty Usability Scale. In Usability Evaluation in Industry; CRC Press: London, UK, 1996; pp. 207–212. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Sauro, J.; Lewis, J. Quantifying the User Experience: Practical Statistics for User Research, 2nd ed.; Elsevier/Morgan Kaufmann: Burlington, MA, USA, 2016. [Google Scholar]
- Owens, O.L.; McDonnell, K.K.; Newsome, B.R.; Humphrey, M. Development and testing of “Is Lung Cancer Screening for You?” A computer-based decision aid. Cancer Causes Control 2023, 34, 287–294. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed] [PubMed Central]
- Dodd, R.H.; Sharman, A.R.; McGregor, D.; Stone, E.; Donnelly, C.; Lourenco, R.A.; Marshall, H.; Rankin, N.M. Education messages and strategies to inform the public, potential screening candidates and healthcare providers about lung cancer screening: A systematic review. Prev. Med. 2023, 169, 107459. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed]
- Bucher, A.; Blazek, E.S.; Symons, C.T. How are Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Used in Digital Behavior Change Interventions? A Scoping Review. Mayo Clin. Proc. Digit. Health 2024, 2, 375–404. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed] [PubMed Central]
- Ellman, M.S.; Schwartz, M.L. Online Learning Tools as Supplements for Basic and Clinical Science Education. J. Med. Educ. Curric. Dev. 2016, 3, JMECD.S18933. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed] [PubMed Central]
- Chen, Y.; Wang, Y.; Yu, T.; Pan, Y. The Effect of AI on Animation Production Efficiency: An Empirical Investigation Through the Network Data Envelopment Analysis. Electronics 2024, 13, 5001. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit]
- Krukowski, R.A.; Ross, K.M.; Western, M.J.; Cooper, R.; Busse, H.; Forbes, C.; Kuntsche, E.; Allmeta, A.; Silva, A.M.; John-Akinola, Y.O.; et al. Digital health interventions for all? Examining inclusivity across all stages of the digital health intervention research process. Trials 2024, 25, 98. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed] [PubMed Central]
- Sorscher, S. Inadequate Uptake of USPSTF-Recommended Low Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening. J. Prim. Care Community Health 2024, 15, 21501319241235011. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Scilit] [PubMed] [PubMed Central]


| Module | Topic | Content Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lung cancer epidemiology, etiology, signs, and symptoms | Overview of global and U.S. statistics; risk factors (smoking, environmental exposures); early signs and symptoms. |
| 2 | Lung cancer treatment and care | Description of treatment options (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy); survivorship and quality of life. |
| 3 | Lung cancer prevention methods | Smoking cessation, avoidance of secondhand smoke, healthy lifestyle promotion, and environmental risk reduction. |
| 4 | Lung cancer screening guidelines, benefits, and risks | USPSTF 2021 guidelines; benefits of early detection; potential harms such as overdiagnosis and false positives. |
| 5 | Screening procedures and results interpretation | Step-by-step explanation of LDCT procedure, preparation, results interpretation, and follow-up recommendations. |
| Domain | Pre-Intervention (Mean ± SD) | Post-Intervention (Mean ± SD) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge | 3.76 ± 2.26 | 8.60 ± 2.27 | <0.001 |
| Stigma | 25.52 ± 4.72 | 19.16 ± 4.62 | <0.001 |
| Perceived susceptibility | 9.88 ± 1.72 | 12.44 ± 2.16 | <0.001 |
| Perceived benefits | 17.72 ± 3.09 | 24.12 ± 3.84 | <0.001 |
| Cues to action | 15.28 ± 3.29 | 20.84 ± 3.30 | <0.001 |
| Self-efficacy | 28.36 ± 4.89 | 35.28 ± 4.45 | <0.001 |
| Perceived barriers | 55.64 ± 5.50 | 44.24 ± 6.95 | <0.001 |
| Perceived severity | 26.72 ± 4.87 | 21.76 ± 2.86 | <0.001 |
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2026 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.
Share and Cite
Lei, F.; Zhao, H.; Huang, F.; Farhadi, E. Using AI to Design and Develop Online Educational Modules to Enhance Lung Cancer Screening Uptake Among High-Risk Individuals. Cancers 2026, 18, 544. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18040544
Lei F, Zhao H, Huang F, Farhadi E. Using AI to Design and Develop Online Educational Modules to Enhance Lung Cancer Screening Uptake Among High-Risk Individuals. Cancers. 2026; 18(4):544. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18040544
Chicago/Turabian StyleLei, Fang, Hua Zhao, Feifei Huang, and Edris Farhadi. 2026. "Using AI to Design and Develop Online Educational Modules to Enhance Lung Cancer Screening Uptake Among High-Risk Individuals" Cancers 18, no. 4: 544. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18040544
APA StyleLei, F., Zhao, H., Huang, F., & Farhadi, E. (2026). Using AI to Design and Develop Online Educational Modules to Enhance Lung Cancer Screening Uptake Among High-Risk Individuals. Cancers, 18(4), 544. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18040544

