Pap smear screening in family physicians' offices in a rural area with a high cervical cancer rate.
OBJECTIVE
Cervical cancer, when detected early by methods like the Pap test, is usually curable. Unfortunately, Pap smear screening is not universal, and mortality from cervical cancer still occurs. The objective of this study was to identify the extent to which female patients were not receiving annual Pap tests in nine family physicians' offices in the lower Rio Grande Valley region of Texas.


METHODS
Patients age 18 or older were asked the date of their last Pap test. The answer was recorded on a chart sticker to help the physician identify patients in need of a Pap test.


RESULTS
Of 5,526 women seen in the nine physicians' offices over a 3-month time period, 42% had not had a Pap smear within the previous 2 years. When offered a Pap test during this study, only 18% of patients refused.


CONCLUSIONS
There appears to be a need for education of physicians and patients about the importance of Pap smear testing and a change in office routines that encourages incorporation of Pap testing into primary physicians' office practices.
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Office of the Vice President for Health Policy, Houston.
K L
KL
Oleszkowicz
G M
GM
Kresch
J T
JT
Painter
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013781:Texas; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*