Cervical cancer: an inpatient screening service

This paper describes the implementation and patient and staff acceptance of a pilot cervical cancer screening service for women aged 20 to 69 years who were inpatients in a 700 bed teaching hospital in Perth, Western Australia. Eligible women were identified daily by using the hospital admission lists, reviewing medical records and, where necessary, consulting with staff. Patients' and staff's acceptance of the service was evaluated by interviews and self-administered questionnaires. Thirty-five percent of the women whose records could be examined needed a Pap smear and 72% of these women had a smear. Fifty-five percent of women screened were aged from 50 to 69 years and 29% had not previously had a Pap smear. Patients and staff were very satisfied with the service and its continuation was strongly supported by the hospital's administrative, nursing and medical personnel. Based on 4000 admissions of women in the 20 to 69 age group and 684 smears per year, the projected annual cost of the service is $46,000. The service proved to be an effective strategy for reaching underscreened women and its success demonstrates the important role that nurses can play in reducing the morbidity and mortality caused by cervical cancer.