One health system that implemented HPV self-collection kits saw a 2.2 percentage point increase in screening rates compared with a period before self-collection.Earlier studies at the health system saw even higher rates of screening, but there were a number of caveats to this study.HPV self-collection testing is becoming more popular in the U.S. as more medical groups endorse it as an option.
A program that offered self-collected human papillomavirus (HPV) tests -- either mailed to patients or offered in clinic -- boosted cervical cancer screening rates among those due or overdue for screening, an evaluation of the program found.
There was a significant 2.2 percentage-point increase in cervical cancer screening completion in the period after the self-collect program launched compared to the period before (95% CI 1.74-2.66, P<0.001), reported Beverly Green, MD, MPH, a family physician and senior investigator for Kaiser Permanente Washington (KPWA) Health Research Institute, and colleagues in NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery.
"HPV self-collect is easy for patients to do, many prefer it over a pelvic exam, and it is just as accurate as a clinician collected test," Green told MedPage Today.
