An audit of colposcopy appointment processes in women with abnormal cervical cytology

Abstract

Objectives: This study was conducted to audit the waiting times and default rates of colposcopy using the standard requirements of the National Health Service Cervical Screening Programme (NHSCSP) 2004 guidelines. Methods: The records of 291 women with abnormal cervical smears referred to the colposcopy clinic between January and December 2008 at Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand, were reviewed. Results: The proportion of women with abnormal cervical smears of any grade receiving colposcopy appointments within 8weeks of referral (96.9%) achieved the minimum requirements (≥90%). However, the waiting times for women with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, glandular cell abnormality and invasive lesion smears were longer than recommended by NHSCSP guidelines. The default rate of 15.8% in this study was slightly higher than recommended by the guidelines (<15%). Having no health insurance, being known to have HIV infection and waiting times longer than 4weeks were independent predictors of default from an initial colposcopy appointment. Conclusion: The waiting times for colposcopy among women with high-grade smear abnormality and the default rate failed to meet standard requirements. Designing an effective protocol for colposcopy appointment processes is warranted. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.