Cervical cancer screening information flow in Northern regional administrative service in Portugal

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Portela ◽  
V Cruz ◽  
H Monteiro ◽  
F Tavares

Abstract Management of a population-based screening program circuit depends on characteristics and technical barriers of its application and implementation. The aim is to clarify the information flow, to understand and build a vision of cervical screening information flows in Northern Regional Health Administration Portuguese Public System and to identify the constraints among them. A total of 5 cluster meetings were presented and two expert interviews were conducted allowing to present an informational flow and its constraints. Aims addressed in each interview where based on the expertise of the interviewed. Cervical cancer screening program depends on the use of SiiMA application. This is an information system for the management of population-based screening program which involves mainly 3 entities and allows a longitudinal data collection and study. Three main constraints were reported. The time for updating data for the list of eligible women was bigger than accorded reaching up to 3 months delay. A duplicate of records and discharges in hospital care since the discharge was done both in the hospital system and the SiiMA platform manually in order to the woman re-enter the screening program. Pendencies were seen due to other screening programs running in parallel which had to be sorted out manually in the regional level or by the entity involved. The existence of a screening application is vital for the implementation purposes of a screening program. The lack of integration of the systems increases bureaucratic work, costs and causes time delay. To improve the efficiency of digital transformation ensuring the quality of the process it is necessary to adapt the design of the health informatic systems to the daily practice and its wants and needs. The strategies of forcing an ever-increasing number of frameworks have demonstrated not to be so effective. Therefore, it is a cornerstone to understand these flows in order to improve its structure, intervention and optimization. Key messages The existence of a screening digital application is vital but its expanding use arises constraints. Due to the complexity of such programs, a digital strategy is crucial for management and monitoring of the screening at this scale.

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Dong ◽  
Jigeng Bai ◽  
Yuping Zhang ◽  
Guangjie Shang ◽  
Yan Zhao ◽  
...  

Purpose: In China the number of pathologists is far from being enough to meet the demands of ongoing population based cervical cancer screening programs. This article aims to present our experience with automated quantitative cytology imaging platform, a reading system with an artificial intelligence that we currently use routinely for cervical cancer screening in Shanxi province.Methods: From 2012-2016 a total of 40 178 women were screened. Women were divided into three groups and each group had two subgroups. Smear and liquid based technique were compared using manual and automated platform.Results: Detection rates of CIN2 + and positive rates of CIN2 were higher in all three groups when automated quantitative cytology platform was used compared with groups where reading was done by the pathologist using conventional microscope. Operator’s costs associated with automated quantitative cytology platform vs. conventional reading using light microscope were compared too. The overall costs of operations based on automated platform were proven to be lower.Conclusion: The use of automated platform and artificial intelligence as a means to overcome the lack of cytotechnologists and pathologists and to implement proper quality control in the large scale population based cervical cancer screening seems very promising.


Viruses ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Chrysostomou ◽  
Dora Stylianou ◽  
Anastasia Constantinidou ◽  
Leondios Kostrikis

Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequently occurring cancer in women around the world and can affect them during their reproductive years. Since the development of the Papanicolaou (Pap) test, screening has been essential in identifying cervical cancer at a treatable stage. With the identification of the human papillomavirus (HPV) as the causative agent of essentially all cervical cancer cases, HPV molecular screening tests and HPV vaccines for primary prevention against the virus have been developed. Accordingly, comparative studies were designed to assess the performance of cervical cancer screening methods in order to devise the best screening strategy possible. This review critically assesses the current cervical cancer screening methods as well as the implementation of HPV vaccination in Europe. The most recent European Guidelines and recommendations for organized population-based programs with HPV testing as the primary screening method are also presented. Lastly, the current landscape of cervical cancer screening programs is assessed for both European Union member states and some associated countries, in regard to the transition towards population-based screening programs with primary HPV testing.


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e12009-e12009
Author(s):  
Surbhi Grover ◽  
Melody Ju ◽  
Lilie L. Lin ◽  
Shobha Krishnan

e12009 Background: Visual inspection with acetic acid and Lugol’s iodine (VIA/VILI) is increasingly reframed as a bridge modality through which low resource countries can provide cervical cancer screening while waiting for the more effective HPV DNA tests to become affordable. Often the screening programs are organized by government bodies that lack the trust of the local communities and hence such programs suffer from poor participation. Here we aim to describe a locally-sustained VIA/VILI screening program in rural Kutch district in India directed by Kutch Mahlia Vikas Sangathan (KMVS), a local NGO committed to women empowerment. Methods: All capacity-building measures (funding, training, materials, and healthcare workers) were rooted in the local community. Heath workers were sent to Tata Memorial Cancer Center in Mumbai for training. NGO members held information sessions prior the screening camps educating women about the significance of screening. A three-visit screening model using VIA/VILI was implemented. At first visit, all women were consented and screened. VIA/VILI positive women returned for a second visit for biospy. Biopsy positive women then returned for a third visit to arrange for treatment. All the screening camps were conducted in community buildings such as schools with the collaboration of the village leaders. Results: Screening camps were set up in 17 villages in 2010-2011, screening a total of 832 married women upto the age of 50. There were 0 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) positive lesions or invasive cancers found. None of the women were lost to follow-up. Conclusions: It is feasible to develop a community level screening program and to provide cancer prevention needs from within a community. Future directions include further evaluation of downstream protocols after VIA/VILI tests, increasing health worker diagnostic and treatment capacity, and determining positive recruitment factors in women attending screening camps. The KMVS screening program has been well-received and has been approached by several other NGO’s and training centers seeking to build similar community-based cervical cancer screening programs.


2013 ◽  
Vol 99 (5) ◽  
pp. 565-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rossana Berardi ◽  
Dania Nacciarriti ◽  
Tiziana Tamburrano ◽  
Giovanna Carbonari ◽  
Emanuela Romagnoli ◽  
...  

Life ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 290
Author(s):  
Andreas C. Chrysostomou ◽  
Leondios G. Kostrikis

The human papillomavirus is one of the most common sexually transmitted viruses, and an infection from this virus may become persistent, leading to diseases such as cervical cancer. In the past, cytology-based methods such as the Papanicolaou (Pap) test were imperative to identify the disease at a stage where it can be treated. However, since the 1980s where the etiological association of HPV and cervical cancer was identified, new tests began emerging directed towards identifying the virus. Furthermore, as the biology of HPV along with the relationships with its host are elucidated, these tests and treatments further advance. Recently in Europe, there is a movement towards the implementation of HPV testing methodologies in national screening programs to precede cytological testing. These screening strategies are recommended by the European guidelines and the World Health Organization. This review presents the current HPV testing methodologies, their application in organized population-based cervical cancer screening programs based on the most recent European guidelines, and their implementation status in countries in Europe.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Decker ◽  
N. Baines ◽  
C. Muzyka ◽  
M. Lee ◽  
M. H. Mayrand ◽  
...  

Background Colposcopy is a key part of cervical cancer control. As cervical cancer screening and prevention strategies evolve, monitoring colposcopy performance will become even more critical. In the present paper, we describe population-based colposcopy quality indicators that are recommended for ongoing measurement by cervical cancer screening programs in Canada.Methods The Pan-Canadian Cervical Cancer Screening Network established a multidisciplinary expert working group to identify population-based colposcopy quality indicators. A systematic literature review was conducted to ascertain existing population and program-level colposcopy quality indicators. A systems-level cervical cancer screening pathway describing each step from an abnormal screening test, to colposcopy, and back to screening was developed. Indicators from the literature were assigned a place on the pathway to ensure that all steps were measured. A prioritization matrix scoring system was used to score each indicator based on predetermined criteria. Proposed colposcopy quality indicators were shared with provincial and territorial screening programs and subsequently revised.Results The 10 population-based colposcopy quality indicators identified as priorities were colposcopy uptake, histologic investigation (biopsy) rate, colposcopy referral rate, failure to attend colposcopy, treatment frequency in women 18–24 years of age, re-treatment proportion, colposcopy exit-test proportion, histologic investigation (biopsy) frequency after low-grade Pap test results, length of colposcopy episode of care, and operating room treatment rate. Two descriptive indicators were also identified: colposcopist volume and number of colposcopists per capita.Summary High-quality colposcopy services are an essential component of provincial cervical cancer screening programs. The proposed quality and descriptive indicators will permit colposcopy outcomes to be compared between provinces and across Canada so as to identify opportunities for improving colposcopy services.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Nessler ◽  
Francis Ball ◽  
Sze Kay Florence Chan ◽  
Michal Chwalek ◽  
Anna Krztoń-Królewiecka ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Healthcare systems have adopted different strategies to reduce the burden of cervical cancer. In Poland, a population-based screening program was implemented in 2006, leading to a downward trend in cervical cancer burden. However, screening rates are still low in relation to other EU member states. In Poland, Pap smears are mainly performed by gynecologists rather than Primary Health Care (PHC) physicians. Little is known about the experiences and attitudes of the latter regarding cervical cancer screening in a PHC setting. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was carried out among 43 PHC physicians from the Malopolska region in Poland. Barriers and attitudes towards cytology in a PHC setting were evaluated. Results Approximately 35% of surveyed physicians reported having experience in performing cytology. Almost 75% of PHC physicians lacked the necessary equipment in their office to perform the screening. None of the studied physicians performed Pap smears in their office at the time. The reasons included: shortage of competence (78.57%) and time (69.05%), the perception of Pap smears as a task for gynecologists (69.05%), the lack of financial incentives (61.90%), and the belief that their patients would be unwilling to undergo the test in their PHC physician’s office (33.33%). More than three quarters (76.74%) declared they would be ready to perform Pap smears if the tests were additionally paid. No significant associations between PHC physicians’ characteristics and their willingness to perform cytology screening were found. Conclusion The primary barrier to perform Pap smears by PHC physicians does not lie in their personal reluctance but in the organization of the healthcare system. Provision of required training and proper funding allocation can likely improve the screening rate of cervical cancer in Poland.


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