title: Experience with colposcopy in a family practice center.
abstract: The experience of a family practice center that performed colposcopy for one year was reviewed to provide insight into the appropriateness of this procedure to a family practice clinic. Almost three thousand Papanicolaou smears were performed, which prompted 97 colposcopy clinic appointments involving 68 patients. Dysplastic Pap smears accounted for 1.82% of the total. Atypical Pap smears occurred in 3.91% of the tests, and 16.1% of a sample of these demonstrated dysplasia. Controversy concerning the atypical Pap smear is discussed. The colposcopy service was convenient for the patients and was at least revenue neutral while providing a new professional opportunity for selected family practitioners. A referral base of at least 1,000 Pap smears might justify a colposcopy program, depending on referral strategies.
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama, Huntsville.
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Everett
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wheeler
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D003127:Colposcopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D014626:Vaginal Smears