Comparison among the efficacy of interventions for the return rate to receive the pap test report: randomized controlled clinical trial.
Camila Teixeira Moreira Vasconcelos, Ana Karina Bezerra Pinheiro, Ana Izabel Oliveira Nicolau and 2 others
PMID 28301035WHAT IT FOUND
A group Pap-smear teaching session, with a return card, helped more women return to receive results (82.4%) than a return card alone (77.3%) or a wrist ribbon (65.9%).
Key findings
01The educative group, which received a return card plus the teaching session, had the highest return rate, 82.4% within 65 days, compared with 77.3% for the comparative group and 65.9% for the behavioral group.
02The behavioral group had a higher risk of non-return than the educative group (2.4 times) and the comparative group (1.7 times).
03The educative group returned within the shortest interval when the mean number of days to receive the result was compared.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was done at a primary care service in Fortaleza, so the results may not transfer to services with different appointment systems. Women were not blinded to the interventions, and the group assignment changed in 60-day blocks, so calendar effects and holiday scheduling could influence return. The return appointment was not guaranteed at the study service, which the authors say influenced outcomes in all groups. The educative group had a shorter scheduled interval to return than the other groups, an unintentional difference. The ribbon was fragile and could be inconvenient or embarrassing, as the authors note. More women than planned were included because of unplanned campaigns, and 27 were excluded; ten women who refused the ribbon were moved to the comparative group.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that all reminders fail. The simple return card produced a higher return rate than the wrist ribbon, and the ribbon was fragile and sometimes not worn.