Colposcopy audit for improving quality of service in areas with a high incidence of cervical cancer

Objective

To audit routine colposcopy performance using 8 standard requirements of the National Health Service Cervical Screening Programme (NHSCSP).

Methods

Records of women who underwent colposcopy for abnormal cervical cytology between January and December 2008 at Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand, were reviewed.

Results

The standard requirements were not achieved in 2 practices: (1) the proportion of women who had recordings of visibility of the transformation zone (96.6%) did not achieve the NHSCSP requirement of 100%; and (2) the rate of excisional biopsy (87.8%) was lower than the 95% minimum required.

Conclusion

Colposcopic performance at Chiang Mai University Hospital was generally favorable. However, re-audit is necessary to ensure that unmet standards of performance are improved and achieved standards are maintained.