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Does improving communication and information for women increase attendance at colposcopy in an inner city clinic? A
A Tomlinson1, M Kyrgiou, E Paraskevaidis
1Department Gynaecology-Obstetrics, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, UK.
Purpose:
To establish whether information leaflets and appointment reminders improve attendance for diagnostic colposcopy.
Design & Setting:
Randomised controlled trial in an inner city colposcopy clinic.
Participants:
500 women newly referred to the colposcopy clinic with abnormal cervical screening smear results were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group using computer-generated numbers.
Intervention:
233 women referred for colpoposcopy were sent a comprehensive information leaflet with their appointment details and additionally were sent reminder letters regarding their appointment 7-10 days prior to their appointment date.
Control:
267 women were sent the standard basic information prior to their appointment.
Main Outcome Measure:
Attendance and default rates for diagnostic colposcopy.
Results:
Default in the intervention arm was 42 out of 233 (18%) compared with 93 out of 267 (35%) in the control arm.
Conclusion:
Improved communication and information in the form of a detailed leaflet and a reminder letter for women with a recently abnormal smear result increased attendance for initial colposcopy assessment.