Please read Dr. Hemler’s article in JMIR Formative Research titled, “A Proposed mHealth Intervention to Address Patient Barriers to Colposcopy Attendance: Qualitative Interview Study of Clinic Staff and Patient Perspectives.“
Over the last few decades, the incidence of invasive cervical cancer in the United States has decreased due to the high uptake of preventive screening and access to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. However, there are large and persistent disparities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality among minoritized populations. Importantly, cancer cases are higher among women living in socially deprived communities (eg, high proportions living below poverty) with high proportions of racial and ethnic minorities and historical racial segregation]. There is variation in screening by race and ethnicity, geography, and insurance], and low follow-up after an abnormal test result, especially for Black and Hispanic women. Indeed, the majority of invasive cervical cancer cases are diagnosed among women who have never or rarely screened. Guideline-concordant screening has decreased over the last 2 decades, leaving many women under-screened and at risk. Poor follow-up behaviors and barriers have also been documented among women diagnosed with cancer. To read the full article.
A Proposed mHealth Intervention to Address Patient Barriers to Colposcopy Attendance: Qualitative Interview Study of Clinic Staff and Patient Perspectives. Hemler JR, Wagner RB, Sullivan B, Macenat M, Tagai EK, Vega JL, Hernandez E, Miller SM, Wen KY, Ayers CA, Einstein MH, Hudson SV, Kohler RE. JMIR Form Res. 2025 Jan 14;9:e55043. PMID: 39808485 PMCID: PMC11775484 DOI: 2196/55043