Identifying Barriers to Treatment for Women With Cervical Dysplasia in Rural Northern British Columbia

This study seeks to identify barriers to colposcopy examination faced by patients living in Northern BC to improve outcomes for women at risk of developing cervical cancer.

A retrospective chart review (n = 309) was conducted in the four colposcopy clinics in Northern BC to collect information regarding patients who were referred for colposcopy after abnormal cytology. Demographic factors associated with non-attendance were identified as barriers to accessing care. Aggregate data from the Cervical Cancer Screening Program (n = 4265) were used to calculate wait times by health region across BC.

The odds of having missed an appointment was highest for women who were pregnant (OR 4.0) or attending site D vs. site A (OR 6.0); however, only clinic location remained significant in a multivariable model. Wait times were longer for women who had ever missed appointments, and varied among the sites, with site A and D having significantly longer wait times than the remaining sites. The Northern Health Authority had the longest overall median colposcopy wait time for high-grade cytology in the province at 41 days longer than the provincial average of 62 days.

The Northern Health Authority faces unique challenges associated with geography and patient population that are associated with longer wait times for colposcopy when compared with other health authorities in the province.