[Quality of the Early Cervical Cancer Detection Program in the State of Nuevo León].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the quality of the Early Cervical Cancer Detection Program in the state of Nuevo León.


METHODS
A random selection of 4791 cytologic reports were analyzed, emitted by the State Ministry of Health, the University Hospital and the Mexican Institute for Social Security early cervical cancer detection modules. Pap tests of women with hysterectomy, current pregnancy, menopause or positive result were excluded. Quality was measured with previously defined standards. Analysis included, besides univariate statistics, tests of significance for proportions and means.


RESULTS
The quality of the program was fairly satisfactory at the level of the State. The quality of the sampling procedure was low; 39.9% of the tests contained endocervical cells. Quality of coverage was low; 15.6% were women 25+years with first time Pap test. Quality of opportunity was high; 8.5 +/- 7 weekdays between the date of the pap smear and the interpretation date.


CONCLUSIONS
Strategies are needed to increase the impact of the state program, such as improving the sampling procedure and the coverage quality levels.
Salinas-Martínez
A M
AM
Unidad Regional de Investigación Epidemiológica y en Servicios de Salud, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), México, México.
Villarreal-Ríos
E
E
Garza-Elizondo
M E
ME
Fraire-Gloria
J M
JM
López-Franco
J J
JJ
Barboza-Quintana
O
O
D000328:Adult; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012424:Rural Population; D014505:Urban Population; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000592:standards