title: Can an appointment-letter intervention increase pap smear screening in Samliem, Khon Kaen, Thailand?
abstract: Our objective was to assess the efficiency of an appointment-letter intervention aimed to increase uptake of cervical cancer screening in women between 35 and 65 years of age. From January, 2007, we randomly recruited 320 women, not screened for at least 5 years, from the Samliem inner-city community, Khon Kaen, Northeast Thailand. A total of 150 women 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 and 65 years of age were assigned to the intervention group according to Thai National Cancer Institute's ( TNCI) strategy. A further 170 women between 36-39, 41-44, 46-49, 51-54, 56-59 and 61-64 years of age were assigned to the control group. Baseline interviews were conducted for all women in both groups by one of the researchers in January, who also provided culturally-sensitive health education emphasizing the need for screening. Then appointment letters were sent only to women in the intervention group in February, with the last date for an appointment being March 31st. In April of 2007, immediately post-intervention, screening-coverage interviews were performed in both groups for comparison. There was a significant increase in the Pap smear screening-coverage rate in the intervention group compared with the control group (44.67% vs. 25.88%, p=0.001). Therefore, the appointment-letter intervention produced a significant effect on increasing Pap smear coverage in this group of women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand bchumworathayi@gmail.com
authors.forename: Bandit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chumworathayi
authors.forename: Pissamai
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yuenyao
authors.forename: Sanguanchoke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luanratanakorn
authors.forename: Jeerichuda
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pattamadilok
authors.forename: Wadwilai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chalapati
authors.forename: Chulaluk
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Na-Nhongkai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011177:Postal Service; D017010:Reminder Systems; D013785:Thailand; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*