Notification of an abnormal Pap smear result: An intervention study

Area of Science:

• Gynecologic Oncology
• Public Health Communication
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Effective communication of abnormal Pap smear results is crucial for patient management and outcomes.
• Current standard notification methods, such as postal letters, may not adequately address patient concerns or promote understanding of Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of phone call notifications by healthcare providers versus standard letter notifications on women's health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
• To assess the effect of different notification methods on women's coping mechanisms, anxiety levels, and awareness of HPV.
• To compare patient satisfaction with the notification process between the intervention and comparison groups.

Main Methods:

• An intervention study conducted in Sweden involving women recruited from a women's health clinic.
• Intervention group (n=113) received abnormal Pap smear results via phone call from a trained healthcare provider.
• Comparison group (n=122) received results via standard postal letter; data collected via questionnaire.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were observed between the phone call and letter notification groups.
• Anxiety was reported by 42.5% of the intervention group versus 48.3% of the comparison group.
• The phone call group reported higher satisfaction (92.0% vs. 67.2%), greater HPV awareness (71% vs. 50%), and fewer healthcare service calls (10.6% vs. 18.0%) compared to the letter group.

Conclusions:

• Notification of abnormal Pap smear results via phone call by a healthcare provider does not significantly improve women's HRQoL or reduce anxiety.
• Direct phone notification enhances patient satisfaction and increases awareness of HPV compared to standard letter notification.
• While not improving HRQoL or anxiety, phone calls offer a more satisfactory communication channel and improve HPV knowledge.