Quality Indicators for Cervical Cancer Screening Programs: The Role of Computerized Systems

Cervical cancer is the malignancy most succesfully monitored by screening programs. Although most counties offer screening services, outcomes differ. It is clear that incidence reduction is achieved when quality assurance is implemented. Quality indicators are essential audit tools when implementing screening policies. Uniform indicators are used to monitor general performance and to identify potential problems that may occur and jeopardise efforts. That way quality management is enabled and the assessment of deviation from goals is facilitated. In this paper the authors present the workflow of cervical cancer screening programs in respect to the quality and performance indicators required by the European Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Cervical Cancer Screening. The authors also propose the appropriate data structures and entities that are required for a computerised system to support their calculation. Additionally the authors highlight important interconnections of the computerised system with other systems; these interconnections are vital for the calculation of the proposed quality indicators.