A Lens into the Quality Standards of Modern-Day Colposcopy

Colposcopy is an office-based procedure performed to identify precancerous or cancerous lesions of the cervix. In 2017, colposcopy guidelines were developed by the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology to standardize terminology, protocolize the procedure, and propose quality metrics. As a result of changes in cervical cancer screening and management guidelines, the volume of colposcopy within the United States has significantly decreased over the past 3 decades, and with the adoption of the human papillomavirus vaccination is anticipated to continue to decline. Therefore, colposcopic quality assessment and improved provider training is of increasing importance.