Cervical screening uptake: supporting positive patient experiences is key

Summary

Steph O'Donohue is the Founder of TIGER UK—a social enterprise set up to help improve patient experiences of gynaecological care through collaboration. In this blog, Steph says that Cervical Cancer Prevention Week is an opportunity to validate and help improve patient experiences. She calls for more information to be shared with both patients and doctors that helps to increase compassion, understanding and accessibility.

Content

It's Cervical Cancer Prevention Week and the drive to increase screening uptake has been visible through online posts and campaigns. This is critical work, but I can't help but notice the lack of emphasis on patient experience. 

The statistics, clinical explanations and even comedic memes have been plentiful this year, but what about the reassurance? What about the acknowledgement that it's not as simple as 'make sure you go — it could save your life' for many people?

These procedures are really important but they can also feel exposing, embarrassing, triggering and distressing for some people. It's important that we not only acknowledge these valid experiences, but that proactive support from providers is abundant. Patients need to know they will be met with compassion and kindness.

I came across a wonderful post by Dr Valerie Ademisoye on Instagram. She acknowledged the worry some people have in attending, and shared four tips for making smear tests easier. It was the most patient-centred post I had seen during this campaign week. It was empowering and empathetic. It offered practical advice. Dr Aziza Sesay has since posted with similar helpful and trusted advice. These messages are important. 

In an ideal world though patients shouldn't have to be empowered to know how to ask for adjustments that would make cervical screenings easier. Instead, every service provider would ask the right questions, and put the right things in place to make sure that person feels safe and comfortable. Otherwise there is an unfair burden on patients, and those who are less informed (through no fault of their own) are potentially less likely to have positive experiences. 

Next year I would love to see more of an emphasis on support and reassurance, including:

• Practical examples from healthcare professionals who have worked in partnership with patients to understand how to improve experiences of cervical screening, so others can learn from this.
• Leaders highlighting the importance of trauma informed training (especially for anyone performing vaginal access procedures).
• Sharing of resources to help healthcare professionals support survivors of sexual violence and abuse who may be feeling particularly anxious about their appointment.
• Local service providers proactively inviting people who feel unsure about attending to call and have an informal, no pressure chat to see how/if they can support. 
• More information for doctors and patients to support accessibility needs. For example, how to request translation services, or how people with a learning disability or physical disability can be better supported before, during and after a smear test.  
• Information about how trans men and non-binary people assigned female at birth who are registered with a GP as male can opt-in for screening.
• Information about who is eligible for at-home testing. 

Preventing cervical cancer isn't just about explaining the risks of not being screened and encouraging people to book an appointment. It is about making sure that every patient considering having a cervical screening is supported throughout to have the most positive and dignified experience possible. 

Further reading on the hub:

• Top picks: 10 resources about improving access to cervical screening

Have your say

• Are you a healthcare professional who works in women’s health or cancer services? Share your practical examples of how you have improved cervical screening.
• Are you a patient? Perhaps you have an experience of cervical screening or cervical cancer that you would like to share?

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