Women's experiences of having a colposcopic examination: Self-reported satisfaction with care, perceived needs and consequences

This study was conducted in seven gynaecological clinics in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The study aimed to assess the level of satisfaction with care, unmet needs and consequences following the procedure reported by women having a colposcopic examination. Of the 161 eligible women attending colposcopy clinics who were approached to take part, 156 (97%) gave written consent to participate and 138 (86%) completed interviews. Consenting women were telephoned within 1 week of their clinic visit to complete a computer-assisted telephone interview (CAT1). The survey addressed a number of issues relating to the care they received during their colposcopic examination: satisfaction with care, satisfaction with the waiting time to have a colposcopy, preferences for provider gender, information and health care needs while waiting for the colposcopy, information and health care needs during the colposcopy, short-term physical consequences and short-term psychosocial consequences of the procedure. Results indicate that satisfaction with care among women ranged from 69% to 96%. The highest expressed needs while waiting for the colposcopy were for information about risks of cancer (91%), reasons for needing a colposcopy (86%), and the colposcopy procedure (86%). Women reported that outcomes such as anxiety and disinterest in sex had further worsened or not been improved following the colposcopy. The results indicate that interventions to address specific concerns would need to be designed, implemented and evaluated.