Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable forms of cancer, yet screening rates in Western Sydney remain significantly below the national average. With local data showing only 29% of eligible individuals participating in screening; compared to the national benchmark of 70%; the gap is both concerning and urgent to address.
Whalan Medical Centre has achieved a remarkable turnaround in cervical cancer screening participation, increasing its screening rate by 13.6% in just one quarter, significantly enhancing the overall quality of care for their patients.
Working in partnership with WentWest’s Primary Care Facilitator, the centre implemented a quality improvement (QI) intervention guided by the Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) cycle. The goal was to improve screening rates and data accuracy.
Key strategies included:
- Data Cleansing: Patient registers were reviewed and corrected to ensure accurate records
- Clinical Audit Tools: Pen CS CAT4 and Topbar were used to identify women overdue for screening
- Recall Systems: Reminders via HotDoc, SMS, and phone calls, alongside opportunistic offers during consultations, boosted patient engagement
- Capacity Building: Practice nurses received training on recall workflows, coding standards, and patient engagement
- Patient Enablers: The GoShare Platform provided videos and resources to strengthen patient participation
- Data Reconciliation: Nurses reconciled patient data using the National Cancer Screening Register
These efforts led to measurable improvements:
- Accurate Patient Records: Data cleansing reduced errors and flagged overdue patients for follow-up
- Increased Screening Rates: Reminder systems and proactive screening offers led to more women being screened on time
- Stronger Team Collaboration: Nurses and GPs gained confidence in using audit tools and recall workflows
- Closing the Gap: The initiative contributed to improved cervical cancer prevention in Western Sydney’s under-screened population
The success at Whalan Medical Centre demonstrates the power of practice-based quality improvement initiatives in tackling significant public health challenges and serves as a model for other general practices looking to improve cervical cancer screening rates and strengthen preventive care delivery in their own communities.