Brief quality improvement interventions are effective in changing mid-level provider prescribing behavior in a developing country context

Abstract

There were no differences between the participants' perceptions of privacy (p¼0.62), embarrassment (p¼0.17), physical discomfort (p=1.0), or pain (p=0.36) between the tampon and clinician-collected methods. However, more women reported feeling "very well cared for" during the clinician-collected method, compared to the tamponcollection (p¼ < 0.01). Most women (n ¼ 261; 80.3%) were willing to collect the tampon at home and bring the specimen with them into the clinic. In our study population, 146 (44.9%) women were familiar with using tampons. About half of the women (182; 56%) reported that carrying the tampon for an hour was "very easy," while 62 (19.1%) reported some difficulty with using the tampon. Interpretation: Slightly more women preferred a clinician-collected swab compared to a self-collected tampon in our study population. While there were no differences in relation to privacy, pain, or discomfort, the clinician-collected method allowed women to feel better cared for, which might have driven the observed difference in preference. Therefore, tampon-collected specimens could be a viable alternative for those patients who do not wish to undergo a pelvic examination or who prefer home-collection as a means for cervical cancer screening. Funding: None.