The efficacy of telecolposcopy compared with traditional colposcopy☆
Section snippets
Materials and methods
Women 18 years of age or older presenting consecutively for colposcopic evaluation after detection of an abnormal Papanicolaou smear or genital condyloma, abnormal appearing cervix, or other condition conducive to colposcopic examination were asked to participate. Women were enrolled at one of two rural sites, the Ware County Health Department, Waycross, and the Tri-County Health Clinic, Warrenton, Georgia. All subjects read and signed the institutional review board-approved informed consent
Results
A total of 264 subjects were enrolled in the trial and, depending upon the specific measure, matched responses ranged from 262 for ECC intent to 175 for colposcopic impression agreement with histology. The mean age of the subjects was 31.7 years, and the range was 18–78. Mean gravidity, parity, and abortive status were 2.4, 2.1, and 0.3, respectively. The subject’s cytologic and histologic results are listed in Table 1.
Colposcopic adequacy and management parameters for each type of
Discussion
The goal of telemedicine is to enable quality health care delivery to populations without readily available access to certain medical expertise. The efficacy of telecolposcopy is based on its diagnostic accuracy and subsequent patient management decisions. Telecolposcopy efficacy is contingent upon sufficient and accurate visual image transfer and communications to derive satisfactory outcomes. Efficacy is realized if telecolposcopy delivers care equivalent to in-person traditional colposcopy.
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Telemedicine and medical care
Cited by (0)
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Supported by a grant (R01 HS08814) from the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, and the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
We thank Max Stachura, MD, and Ann Brown, MHSA, of the Medical College of Georgia Telemedicine Center for administrative and technical assistance; and Eileen Dickman, PhD, MBA, and Roberta Shiver for data management services.