An audit of a cervical smear screening programme.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Gynecologic Oncology

Background:

• Cervical cancer screening programs are crucial for early detection and prevention.
• Computer-based screening and recall systems aim to improve participation rates.
• General practices play a key role in delivering these screening services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To audit the effectiveness of a computer-based cervical screening and recall program in a general practice.
• To assess reasons for participation and identify true non-responders to cervical smear tests.

Main Methods:

• Audit of records for women aged 20-59 within a general practice population.
• Analysis of a random sample of "responders" to determine reasons for smear uptake.
• Investigation of a random sample of "non-responders" to ascertain true refusal rates.

Main Results:

• 95% of surveyed women expressed satisfaction and intent to return for future smears.
• Familiarity with the doctor and recall letters were key reasons for participation.
• Less than 8% of women offered a cervical smear were identified as true non-responders.

Conclusions:

• The computer-based screening and recall program demonstrates high effectiveness in promoting cervical smear uptake.
• Patient satisfaction is high, suggesting a well-functioning service.
• The low rate of true non-responders indicates successful program outreach and acceptance.