Continuous quality improvement of Pap smears in an ambulatory care facility.
This article describes how the H. Claude Hudson Comprehensive Health Center (Los Angeles) implemented a continuous quality improvement program to reduce the unacceptably high rate of nonrepresentative Papanicolaou (Pap) smears (those lacking endocervical component). A review of the literature and telephone surveys indicated that the optimal Pap smear technique includes the use of a cervical cytobrush. Several cytobrushes were evaluated and one was chosen to be used facilitywide. Clinicians were given in-services on the proper cervical sampling techniques using the cytobrush. The rate of nonrepresentative Pap smears decreased approximately 12% during a five-month period; this has been attributed to uniform implementation of the cytobrush technique in nonpregnant patients, in-service education, and cooperative teamwork.
Pachciarz
J A
JA
H. Claude Hudson Comprehensive Health Center, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, CA 90007.
Abbott
M I
MI
Gorman
B
B
Henneman
C E
CE
Kuhl
M
M
D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000592:standards; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000592:standards*; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000592:standards*