Influence
March 18, 2026

Low Cancer Screening Rates Among Emergency Department Patients: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Split-image of Nicholas Pettit, DO, PhD., and IU's Paul Musey, MD

Published in the journal Cancer investment. Here is a link to the article. 

Regenstrief Institute author: Paul I. Musey, M.D., M.S. 

The content below has been provided by the first author on the paper Nicholas Pettit, DO, PhD.  

Regenstrief Institute’s Role in the Multi-Center Study 

Regenstrief Institute led data curation across 11 emergency departments, enabling consistent analysis of screening adherence and identification of system-wide gaps in cancer prevention. 

Implications for Health Systems Improving Cancer Screening Rates 

These findings suggest that health systems should view the emergency department as a strategic touchpoint for identifying patients who are overdue for guideline-recommended cancer screening, particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. Health systems seeking to improve screening rates should consider implementing EHR-based identification tools, targeted referral pathways, and ED-initiated education or navigation programs to address disparities and close preventive care gaps at scale.  

Alignment with Learning Health System Principles 

This project reflects the principles of a learning health system by leveraging electronic health record data from 11 emergency departments to generate actionable knowledge about gaps in guideline-concordant cancer screening within routine clinical care . By identifying high-risk populations and disparities within the health system, the study creates an evidence base to inform targeted, ED-based interventions and supports an ongoing cycle of data-driven quality improvement . 

The Role of Multi-System Collaboration in Addressing Cancer Prevention Disparities 

Multi-system collaboration can reduce disparities in cancer prevention by pooling data across diverse emergency departments to identify inequities in screening, align targeted outreach strategies, and implement coordinated, system-wide interventions that better reach high-risk and historically underserved populations. 

Authors:  

Nicholas R Pettit 1, Matthew Hays 2, Xiaochun Li 2, Jacquiline Wiltshire 2, Paul Musey 1 

Affiliations Collapse 

Affiliations 

1Department of Emergency Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA. 

2Indiana University School of Medicine and Richard M Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indianapolis, IN, USA. 

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