Bthm. Palm et al., PRELIMINARY-RESULTS OF A GENERAL-PRACTICE BASED CALL SYSTEM FOR CERVICAL-CANCER SCREENING IN THE NETHERLANDS, British journal of general practice, 43(377), 1993, pp. 503-506
A study was undertaken in Nijmegen, in the Netherlands, to compare the
attendance rate following a call system for cervical cancer screening
organized by general practitioners, with the attendance rate resultin
g from the Dutch national call system. Women are invited for screening
on a three yearly basis and in 1990 1616 women were identified by nin
e practices as being in the appropriate age group (35 to 54 years) to
attend for cervical cancer screening while 10 387 women were identifie
d by the national call system. The attendance rate among the 1101 wome
n in the rural general practices was 58%, compared with 49% of 4754 wo
men in the matched group receiving an invitation from the national cal
l system. The attendance rate among the 515 women in the urban general
practices was 55%, compared with 41% of 6233 women in the matched gro
up receiving an invitation from the national call system. Invitations
from general practitioners resulted in similar percentages of women in
all age groups attending for screening. Four general practices sent a
reminder letter or made a telephone call to non-attenders. A reminder
increased the attendance rate from 58% to 70%. ft is concluded that a
general practice based call system for cervical screening produces a
higher attendance rate than the national call system.