Psychological impact, support and information needs for women with an abnormal Pap smear: comparative results of a questionnaire in three European countries

BMC Women's Health

Research Article

Anna Francisca Jorge¹  Daniel Pereira da Silva¹  Joseph Monsonego²  Javier Cortes³  Patrick Klein⁴ 

[1] Cervical Pathology Unit, Portuguese Institute of Oncology in Coimbra, Santo António dos Olivais, 3030, Coimbra, Portugal;Institut of the Cervix, 174 rue de Courcelles, 75017, Paris, France;Spanish Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Alfonso el Magnánimo 29, 07004, Palma de Mallorca, Spain;Vision Critical, 61, rue de Monceau, 75008, Paris, France;

关键词: Cervical Cancer;    Cervical Cancer Screening;    Spanish Woman;    French Woman;    Abnormal Test Result;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1472-6874-11-18

 received in 2010-10-12, accepted in 2011-05-25,  发布年份 2011

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundExtensive information on cervical cancer is currently available. Its effectiveness in reducing anxiety in women receiving abnormal Pap tests is not clear. We investigated current practices of communicating abnormal Pap results to evaluate women's reactions and determine the sources of information they use subsequently.MethodsA self-administered questionnaire-based study was performed in 1475 women in France, Spain and Portugal who had received an abnormal Pap smear result in the 12 months prior to completing the questionnaire. Questions covered methods of communication of the result, emotional reactions, support received (from the physician and entourage), and information sources, using pre-specified check box options and rating scales. Data were analyzed by country.ResultsPap test results were mostly communicated by phone to Spanish women (76%), while physician letters were common in France (59%) and Portugal (36%). Frequent reactions were anxiety, panic and stress, which were less common in Spanish women than their French and Portuguese counterparts. After discussing with their physician, half of the participants were worried, despite rating highly the psychological support received. Over 90% of women in each country discussed their results with family or friends. Partners provided a high level of support. Overall, the abnormal diagnosis and consequences had a low to medium impact on daily, professional and family life and their relationships with their partner. Impact was higher in Spanish women than the French or Portuguese. Information on the diagnosis and its treatment was rated average, and nearly 80% of participants wanted more information, notably French women. Preferred sources were the physician and the Internet.ConclusionsWomen expressed a strong wish for more information about cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases, and that their physician play a major role in its provision and in support. There was a heavy reliance on the close entourage and the Internet for information, highlighting the need for dissemination of accurate material. Differences between countries suggest information management strategies may need to be tailored to different geographical regions.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Monsonego et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2011