[Optimization of cervical cancer screening in France: A prospective multicenter clinical study].

Abstract

Objectives: In France, the rate of cervical cancer screening (CCS) coverage is estimated to be 53.4% in 2022 with a target of 80%. This study assessed the effectiveness of a strategy involving telephone reminders by general practitioners (GPs) to increase participation.

Methods: This prospective, descriptive multicenter study was conducted in France in 2023. Eight hundred and thirty-one women aged between 25 and 65 years did not undergo up-to-date screening according to French recommendations and were contacted by a healthcare professional in the medical practices where they were followed up to schedule a screening appointment. The rate of patient participation in CCS for each GP was recorded before and after the inclusion period using the website (www.amelipro.fr). This study was approved by the French Data Protection Authority (Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés) under No. 2227553 v. 0.

Results: The rate of participation in CCS increased from 53.4 to 63.8% following telephone calls of eligible patients who were not up-to-date with their screening. After receiving a telephone call, patients over 50 years of age had an acceptance rate similar to that of patients under 50 years of age despite their lower screening coverage.

Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of personalized medicine for reducing inequalities. This measure is complementary to preexisting measures, such as organized screening, or planned measures, such as vaginal self-sampling.