Cervical screening: what do Auckland general practitioners do?
OBJECTIVE
To assess the frequency of cervical screening; average age of screened women and adequacy of decontamination practices of vaginal specula by Auckland general practitioners.


METHODS
A random sample of 96 Auckland general practitioners completed a questionnaire at the time of consultation describing the screening history and decontamination practices for vaginal specula from five consecutive patients having a cervical smear test.


RESULTS
Of the 96 doctors 68 completed the questionnaire for the five consecutive patients. The majority of women were aged below 50 years and the median time since the last smear for women with a previously normal smear was 18 months. Although the majority of doctors adhered to Health Department guidelines for decontamination, deviations occurred by: reusing plastic specula; using only disinfection as a means of decontamination and not boiling specula for 30 minutes.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of women being screened are young and there is a high level of very frequent screening in women with previously normal smears. Closer adherence to the 1991 cervical screening recommendations and Health Department guidelines for decontamination of vaginal specula is required for some Auckland general practitioners.
McMaster
H
H
Department of General Practice, University of Auckland School of Medicine.
Arroll
B
B
Towers
S
S
McAvoy
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013242:Sterilization / Q000592:standards; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*