Impact in general practice of the policies of the Organised Approach to Preventing Cancer of the Cervix

The role of general practitioners (GPs) is vital to implementation of the Organized Approach to Preventing Cancer of the Cervix (OAPCC), a program launched in Australia in 1991 as a response to shortcomings at each of the five steps of the cervical screening pathway. The impact in general practice has been studied in. Among GPs, female gender, professional affiliation, metropolitan area practice and awareness of the OOAPCC booklet were found to be independent predictors of an opportunistic orientation, and 91% indicated they would be very likely to include a Pap smear in a general health checkup. Some 5,600 person years of life were lost through premature death from cervical cancer in 1990.