Feasibility, reliability and women's views of a risk scoring system for cervical neoplasia in primary care

A risk assessment scale for cervical neoplasia has been developed which gives a risk score based on four factors: level of education, current smoking status, number of years of oral contraceptive use and number of sexual partners ever.

A pilot study was undertaken to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a self-report data form, used to assess risk of cervical neoplasia, and the test-retest reliability of women's responses to the questions.

A sample of women attending one general practice were asked to complete a self-report data form which included some highly personal questions, and a questionnaire assessing their level of difficulty and discomfort completing the form. Women were sent a second self-report data form four weeks later in order to assess test-retest reliability.

There was a high level of cooperation with the study (94% initial participation rate), little evidence of discomfort with the questions posed, and high test-retest reliability.

The results of this pilot study have positive implications for a large prospective study evaluating the predictive power of the risk scale in relation to the result of the cervical smear test.