Offering an app to book cervical screening appointments: A service evaluation

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Digital Health Interventions
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Cervical screening is crucial for early detection of precancerous changes.
• Low uptake of screening appointments remains a public health challenge.
• Digital tools are being explored to improve healthcare access and adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of using a smartphone application for booking cervical screening appointments.
• To assess the effectiveness of text message reminders coupled with an app invitation for overdue screenings.

Main Methods:

• Identification of women overdue for cervical screening (≥6 months) in three East London general practices.
• Distribution of text messages inviting women to download an app for appointment booking.
• Tracking of appointment bookings made via the app versus other methods.

Main Results:

• 1464 eligible women received text messages.
• 11% (158/1464) of women booked a screening appointment within five months.
• Only 28% (45/158) of these bookings were made through the smartphone app; the majority booked via other means.

Conclusions:

• Text message reminders appear to be the primary driver for booking cervical screening appointments, rather than the app itself.
• Future interventions should consider optimizing text message content and potentially linking to existing online booking systems.
• The study suggests a limited role for a dedicated booking app in this specific context, emphasizing the impact of the reminder message.