Our topic for the next #LCSM Tweet Chat on Thursday, June 19^th at 5 PM Pacific (8 PM Eastern) is “What are clinical and functional outcomes after lung cancer surgery that are most important to patients and their families?”  The moderator for this chat is Dr. David Tom Cooke (@DavidCookeMD).

Patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) seeks to help stakeholders (patients, their family members, friends and care providers) communicate and make informed healthcare decisions, allowing multiple voices to be heard in assessing the value and efficacy of healthcare options.  PCOR answers patient-centered questions such as: “What can I do to improve the outcomes that are most important to me?” and “How can clinicians and the care delivery systems they work in help me make the best decisions about my health?” (http://www.pcori.org/). Dr. Cooke is seeking to bring the concept of PCOR to thoracic surgery research and improve outcomes for patients undergoing lung cancer surgery.

Lung cancer surgery, specifically lobectomy (removing about 1/3 of the right lung or 1/2 of the left lung) and pneumonectomy (removing an entire lung) are the gold-standard therapies for early and locally advanced lung cancer.  However, lung cancer surgery is high-risk and can be associated with an elevated risk of death (mortality), complications, prolonged hospital stays, and hospital readmissions.  In U.S. hospitals, national 30-day mortality is 4-6% after lobectomy and 11-17% after pneumonectomy (Birkmeyer et al, N Engl J Med. 2002).  Dr. Cooke is investigating if patient and family participation can drive improvements in lung cancer surgery outcomes, leading to the creation of successful after-surgery patient care protocols that will translate the good results of high performing medical centers to all types of institutions performing lung cancer surgery.  Active engagement of patients and their families in the after-surgery clinical care process may improve the quality of life and overall survival of patients surgically treated for lung cancer.

This conversation with the #LCSM community will help identify which clinical and functional outcomes are most important to patients, family and friends after surgery for lung cancer.  Were there any communications problems after surgery or during the hospital stay, and if so, how can surgeons, patients and all stakeholders improve the communication?  And finally, what changes in the lung cancer surgery care process are needed to achieve the clinical and functional goals that are important to patients and their family/friends?

With the above goals, here are the 3 questions that will be discussed during our June 19^th Tweet Chat:

T1: What post-op clinical and functional outcomes are most important to you (patients & family) after surgery for lung cancer?

T2: Any problems in communication between patient, family & HCPs after lung surgery & during hospital stay? How can this be improved?

T3: What changes in lung cancer surgery care process are needed to achieve clinical/functional goals important to patients & family?

Please join us. Remember to add the hashtag #LCSM to your tweets at the appointed hour and follow the stream.  Here is more info on how to participate in #LCSM Chat.  To learn more about Dr. Cooke’s research project “Empowering Patients and their Families to Improve Outcomes That are Most Important to Them after Lung Cancer Surgery”, click here.

If you cannot participate in the tweet chat but still want to share your thoughts about the above lung cancer surgery questions, please post your thoughts in the comments below.  The #LCSM founders will make sure your comment is tweeted during the chat.