A family practice residency cervical screening project: perceived screening barriers.

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVES

A community-based family practice residency program initiated a cervical screening project to provide free Pap smears to women who had not had one in 3 years. The research identified reasons why patients had not been screened within the past 3 years.

METHODS

A total of 214 consecutive participants in the free Pap smear clinic completed questionnaires. The questionnaire asked about reasons why screening had not occurred over the last 3 years.

RESULTS

Altogether, 65.4% of the study group reported cost-related factors as barriers to participation; 37.9% cited either scheduling concerns, fear, or embarrassment; and 36% cited misinformation issues about either screening recommendations, effectiveness of treatment, or disease presentation.

CONCLUSIONS

Strategies to increase participation in Pap smear screening clinics may include increasing availability of free or low-cost screening examinations, increasing time efficiency and scheduling flexibility of examinations, and making efforts to mitigate the fear and embarrassment associated with the exam.