Increasing women's knowledge and satisfaction with cervical cancer screening

Area of Science:

• Gynecology
• Preventive Medicine
• Health Communication

Background:

• Low patient knowledge of cancer screening and satisfaction with preventive healthcare are significant challenges.
• Effective communication strategies are crucial for improving adherence to preventive health measures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of different information delivery methods on patient knowledge and satisfaction regarding cancer screening.
• To compare interventions using verbal information, graphic aids, and video colposcopy against a control group.

Main Methods:

• A randomized clinical trial involving 147 healthy women assigned to intervention or control groups.
• Pre- and post-test assessments using semi-structured interviews, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Patient Satisfaction Tool.
• Interventions included verbal information, graphic-supported information, and video colposcopy.

Main Results:

• All intervention groups showed significant increases in knowledge of cancer screening.
• Graphic and video colposcopy interventions led to higher knowledge scores compared to verbal information alone.
• Patient satisfaction was significantly higher with video colposcopy and graphic-supported information.

Conclusions:

• Visual teaching aids, particularly video colposcopy and graphic representations, are effective in enhancing patient knowledge and satisfaction in preventive healthcare.
• The integration of visual aids should be a routine component of cervical cancer screening protocols.