title: Motivators for women to attend cervical screening: the influential role of GPs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Participation in organized cervical cancer screening has declined recently. While research has focussed on barriers to screening participation, less attention has been paid to what motivates women to attend. Moreover, little is known about health care provider/practitioner-level barriers and facilitators to participation. Better understanding of these issues could help inform strategies to improve participation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the role of GPs in influencing women's cervical screening behaviours and investigate other motivators for women to attend for a cervical smear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten focus groups were conducted in Ireland, shortly before the launch of a national cervical screening programme. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and transcripts were analysed thematically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GPs greatly influence women's screening behaviours and can have a positive or negative impact on women's participation in screening. Four major subthemes emerged in relation to this: the attitude of the GP; prompting by the GP; trust in the GP and women's relationships with their GP. Two main motivators to screening participation were identified: personal reasons/benefits (e.g. potential of smears to be life-saving); and practical issues/convenience. Women's also expressed desires for what they would like to see incorporated in the national screening programme (e.g. an 'out-of-hours' service).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GPs can impact positively and negatively on women's cervical screening participation. Providing on-going support to GPs around their cervical screening practices is essential to maximize screening attendance. Targeted information materials that focus on the personal reasons and benefits of having smear tests could help stimulate women to participate.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Registry, Building 6800, Cork Airport Business Park, Kinsale Road, Cork and m.oconnor@ncri.ie.
authors.forename: Mairead
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Registry, Building 6800, Cork Airport Business Park, Kinsale Road, Cork and.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, Dolphin's Barn, Dublin 8, Ireland.
authors.forename: Cara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, Dolphin's Barn, Dublin 8, Ireland.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Leary
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Registry, Building 6800, Cork Airport Business Park, Kinsale Road, Cork and.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sharp
mesh_terms: D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D058005:General Practitioners; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D009042:Motivation; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010819:Physician's Role; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: Cervical cancer; GP; focus groups; motivators; screening.