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How well is the National Cervical Screening Program performing for Indigenous Australian women? Why we don't really know, and what we can and should do about it

Whop, Lisa J., Cunningham, Joan and Condon, John R. (2014). How well is the National Cervical Screening Program performing for Indigenous Australian women? Why we don't really know, and what we can and should do about it. European Journal of Cancer Care,23(6):716-720.

Document type: Journal Article
Citation counts: Altmetric Score Altmetric Score is 13
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IRMA ID 84473293xPUB102
Title How well is the National Cervical Screening Program performing for Indigenous Australian women? Why we don't really know, and what we can and should do about it
Author Whop, Lisa J.
Cunningham, Joan
Condon, John R.
Journal Name European Journal of Cancer Care
Publication Date 2014
Volume Number 23
Issue Number 6
ISSN 0961-5423   (check CDU catalogue open catalogue search in new window)
eISSN 1365-2354
Start Page 716
End Page 720
Total Pages 5
Place of Publication United Kingdom
Publisher Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
HERDC Category C1 - Journal Article (DIISR)
Abstract Since its inception in 1991, Australia's organised approach to cervical screening, the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP), has seen a 50% reduction in both incidence and mortality from cervical cancer in Australia. However, Indigenous Australian women continue to experience a disproportionately higher burden of cervical cancer. No national data on screening participation of Indigenous women currently exist, in large part because pathology forms, the primary source of data for Pap Test Registers (PTR), do not record Indigenous status. While including Indigenous status on pathology forms is the obvious solution for producing essential information about cervical screening of Indigenous women, this will require an appropriate consultative process and it will be many years before reliable data are available. One interim option being explored is the feasibility of linking the PTR to another data source which includes Indigenous status, such as hospital data. However, despite its promise, there remain major impediments to obtaining useful linked data in Australia, and it continues to be unclear whether such an approach is viable for routine reporting. If we are to understand and improve cervical screening participation and outcomes for Indigenous women in the foreseeable future, Australia needs to act now to include Indigenous status in pathology forms and (subsequently) PTRs.
Keywords cervical cancer
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous identification
cervical screening
cervical screening program
DOI http://dx.doi.org/DOI: 10.1111/ecc.12244   (check subscription with CDU E-Gateway service for CDU Staff and Students  check subscription with CDU E-Gateway in new window)
 
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