Access to cervical screening in Australian general practices: a cross-sectional study using a 'secret shopper' approach.
Nearly a quarter of general practices could not offer cervical screening appointments for new patients.
Access to cervical screening in Australian general practices: a cross-sectional study using a 'secret shopper' approach.
Cervical screening in Australia is currently accessed through a healthcare provider, typically a general practitioner in primary care.
We aimed to assess the real-world availability of and access to cervical screening services, including self-collection.
Cross-sectional study was conducted using a secret shopper methodology with a standardized telephone script that emulated real-life calls.
Among practices able to provide an appointment, 217 (89%) said self-collection was available.
By jurisdiction, the proportion of practices reporting availability of cervical screening ranged from 72 to 83% but did not significantly differ.
More regional clinics (94%) offered self-collection compared to metropolitan clinics (85%)(P = ·017).
Practices located in the most disadvantaged socioeconomic quintile had a significantly higher proportion offering self-collection (95%) compared to those located in the most advantaged quintile (79%)(P = ·043).
Our study highlighted that access to cervical screening may be constrained by limited appointments for new patients, out-of-pocket costs, and other factors.
These barriers may disproportionately affect individuals facing structural and financial disadvantage. We found significant variability in availability of self-collection by location.
Exploring flexible models, including mail-out, pharmacy supported, or community-led models, may improve accessibility and reduce burden on general practices.