Learn

In the general practice setting, about 1.7 per 100 encounters will be for cervical sampling. On Dec 1, 2017, Australia transitioned to the renewed NCSP, a programme that involved primary human papillomavirus (HPV) screening every 5 years for those aged 25-74. The new test looks for the presence of HPV, the virus that causes almost all cervical cancers, and is expected to lower cervical cancer cases and mortality by at least 20%. This was a major shift for most clinicians as well as the general public and came with some reluctance, added to this was the pandemic which saw screening rates drop Australia wide.

The research shown that if vaccination and screening coverage are maintained at their current rates, cervical cancer is likely to be eliminated as a public health issue in Australia by 2035.These findings indicate that Australia is on-track to be the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer by successfully implementing a combined approach to vaccination and screening. 

Features of the National Cervical Audit report distributed quarterly will include the breakdown of HPV status into type 16, 18 and other and are then separated into HPV vaccinated cohort and non-vaccinated cohort assisting clinicians with the identification of patients or those patient new to Australia for follow up. Nominated peer comparison as well as national figures released by the national cancer screening register is also a feature. In addition the report accurately correlates HPV status with associated cytological findings of your patients as well as categorisation of your cervical cytology results with emphasis on those that are unsatisfactory for reporting, samples without endocervical cells, facilitating your own surveillance of your sampling procedures and best practice.

Accompanying list of your patients in the preceding audit period who were assigned a risk category other than Low Risk. This list will include all patients reported as Unsatisfactory/Intermediate Risk/High Risk/Abnormal Finding or No Risk Category Assigned.

Learning Outcomes

1. Evaluate the HPV and LBC results from your practice to ensure the correct clinic pathway for cervical screening is followed and patients managed correctly as per the guidelines
2. Assess the “patient follow up report” to ensure correct correlation with your medical records to ensure correct patient management and outcomes as per practice standards
3. Revise and organise patients management and follow up according to their risk-category
4. Organise those patients who are symptomatic and plan appropriate investigations pathway for treatment and follow up.

Details

Disclaimer: Please note, once you click 'Register now' you will be leaving the AMA’s CPD Home website and entering a third-party education provider’s website. If you choose to register for this learning, you will need to provide some of your personal information directly to the third-party education provider. If you have any queries about how third-party education providers use, disclose or store your personal information you should consult their privacy policy.