Women's preferences for providers of and settings for Pap smears.
OBJECTIVE
To gauge women's flexibility in receiving Pap smears from someone other than their regular gynecologists, specifically, their general physicians.


METHODS
A random sample of 500 English-speaking women members (age 18-80) of Kaiser Permanente completed a 20-minute telephone survey (72% response rate). Ten focus groups and 75 in-person interviews gathered qualitative information.


RESULTS
Approximately half the surveyed women would see an unfamiliar gynecologist for a Pap smear (48%) and did not have a preference for the gender of the clinician (53%). Most women (72%) were open to seeing nurse practitioners if their regular gynecologists were not available. Although few women (26%) were initially positive about receiving Pap smears in their general medical clinics, half (45%) said they would prefer that to waiting for an appointment in gynecology. Interest was especially high (52%) among women with female rather than male internists or family practitioners (33%).


CONCLUSIONS
Redesign efforts must emphasize choice in Pap smear delivery in order to increase convenience while respecting preferences for the existing system.
Thompson
M
M
Kaiser Permanente, Northern California, USA.
Nussbaum
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D002641:Chicago; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D014626:Vaginal Smears