QIM 9: Proportion of regular female clients with an up-to-date cervical screening test record in their GP record within the previous 5 years

Cervical cancer develops when abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix begin to multiply out of control and form precancerous lesions. If undetected, these lesions can develop into tumours and spread into the surrounding tissue. Australia commenced an organised program of routine cervical screening of the eligible female population in 1991 and the cervical screening test was introduced in Australia in December 2017 replacing the old Pap test. The Pap test used to look for changes in the cells of the cervix. The new cervical screening test looks for evidence of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can lead to cell changes in the cervix (AIHW 2019). In Australia, cervical cancer accounts for less than 2% of all female cancers, with a relatively low incidence of 7 new cases per 100,000 women of all ages (AIHW 2019).

Women aged 25 to 74 years become eligible to receive their first cervical screening test 2 years after the last Pap test was done and then the cervical screening test should be conducted every 5 years. A small minority of data from Pap smear tests performed before December 2017 may be included in the report.

Capture of results recorded outside of the general practice setting

Results arising from cervical screening test conducted outside of the service that are known and recorded by the practice are included in the measure. Where the cervical screening test was conducted elsewhere (for example, community health centre, women’s health centre, family planning or sexual health clinic etc.) and the information is not recorded in the clinical information system of the client’s usual general practice, then then these data will not be captured in the report.

Other sources of relevant data

There are other administrative data collections where the data on cervical screening test are captured, e.g., the National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR).

This indicator reports on the proportion of regular female clients aged 25 to 74 years, who have not had a hysterectomy who had a cervical screening test (for human papillomavirus) recorded in their GP record after 1 December 2017 and within the previous 5 years.

 

As of July 2021, nationally, 37.4% of regular female clients aged 25 to 74 years had a cervical screening test recorded in their GP record after 1 December 2017 and within the previous 5 years. This varied from 21.8% to 46.0% across PHNs.

Figure 45: Proportion of regular female clients aged 25 to 74 years with a cervical screening test recorded in their GP record within the previous 5 years, by PHN, July 2021

Nationally, between October 2020 and July 2021, the proportion of regular female clients who had a cervical screening test recorded in their GP record after 1 December 2017 and within the previous 5 years, increased by 2.6% from 34.8% to 37.4%.

Figure 46: Proportion of regular female clients aged 25 to 74 years with a cervical screening test recorded in their GP record within the previous 5 years, October 2020 to July 2021

Proportion of regular female clients with an up-to-date cervical screening test record in their GP record by age

As of July 2021, nationally, the proportion of regular female clients aged 25 to 74 years with a cervical screening test recorded in their GP record after 1 December 2017 and within the previous 5 years was highest in the 45–54 years age group (42.2%), and lowest in the 70–74 years age group (28.8%).

Figure 47: Proportion of regular female clients aged 25 to 74 years with a cervical screening test recorded in their GP record within the previous 5 years, by age, July 2021