Text Messaging as a Tool to Address Language Barriers in Cervical Cancer Screening Among Spanish-Preferred...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Disparities
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Cervical cancer rates are rising, with Hispanic women facing higher incidence and mortality in the U.S.
• Language barriers disproportionately affect Spanish-preferred populations, contributing to screening disparities.
• Targeted interventions are needed to improve cervical cancer screening adherence in underserved communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a Spanish-language multimedia presentation in improving cervical cancer screening rates.
• To compare screening appointment scheduling between standard care and multimedia intervention groups for Spanish-preferred patients.

Main Methods:

• A non-randomized study compared standard care (Family Medicine) with standard care plus a Spanish multimedia intervention (Internal Medicine).
• Baseline characteristics were analyzed using Wilcoxon rank sum and Chi-Square/Fisher's exact tests.
• Screening scheduling rates were compared using the Chi-Square test.

Main Results:

• The intervention group (Internal Medicine) had 52 patients; the standard care group (Family Medicine) had 58 patients.
• Post-study, 25.0% in IM and 15.5% in FM scheduled screening, a non-significant difference (p=0.21).
• Patients who scheduled screening had higher insurance rates (95.5%) compared to those who did not (69.3%).

Conclusions:

• The Spanish-language multimedia presentation did not significantly increase cervical cancer screening scheduling rates.
• Findings suggest that while the intervention was not effective in this study, insurance coverage is a significant factor in screening adherence.
• Larger sample sizes and randomized study designs are recommended for future research on this topic.