Disclosing the results of the invasive cervical cancer review to patients: a survey of lead colposcopists across England.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To survey lead colposcopists to explore the extent to which patients are currently being invited to discuss the results of their invasive cervical cancer review, the reasons why this might not be happening and the clinician experience. METHODS: An online survey was sent to lead colposcopists across England. They were asked whether they offered the review to patients, if they did how they did so and what their experience was and if they did not, why not. RESULTS: There was a 68.5% (N = 122) response rate, with 53% of respondents currently offering the review meetings. Patients were predominantly invited to the review meeting face to face and clinicians' experiences were mixed with a variety of positive and negative aspects of the meetings given. For those clinicians not currently offering a review meeting, there were a variety of reasons 25% cited a lack of awareness of the guidelines, 19% time constraints, 12% a fear of causing additional distress and 2% a fear of litigation. Open-ended responses demonstrated a considerable amount of misunderstanding about the process. CONCLUSION: Despite National Health Service Cervical Screening Programme guidelines, not all clinicians offer review meetings to patients and those who do offer them do not always offer them to all women. Patient research needs to be conducted to explore the value of the meetings further, and there is a need to do more to engage clinicians in the process.