Well-woman Examinations: Beyond Cervical Cancer Screening

Guideline changes have raised questions about the usefulness of well-woman examinations. The objectives of this study were to determine if gynecologic conditions are being discovered for women 40 years and older and describe the interventions planned. Retrospective analyses were conducted on records from a hospital-based gynecology clinic yielding 283 charts. The majority of patients were diagnosed with new gynecologic conditions and had Pap smears performed. The follow-up for these patients included prescriptions, education, and diagnostic workup. Gynecologic conditions are being discovered and interventions applied for over one half of the women seen.