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Doctors Overprescribing the Pap Test
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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 Nearly 85 percent of the physicians surveyed described screening guidelines as "very influential." But, in practice, few actually followed the guidelines precisely. Overall, just 22 percent followed the guideline recommendations, the researchers found.
The variance in screening tended to be overuse of the test, the researchers said. The problem with overusing the test is that it may not be the best use of limited health care dollars, and more importantly could lead to additional unnecessary testing and worry for women.
Dr. Amy Chapman, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Scott and White Healthcare in Round Rock, Tex., said she was surprised by the study's findings. "In my experience, gynecologists really do follow the current recommendations from ACOG," she said.
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She pointed out that those recommendations had recently changed again, which may be part of the reason physicians weren't following the guidelines consistently -- there may simply be a lag time between the changes and implementation, she said.
The bottom line, said Chapman, is that "patients should be their own advocate. Sit down with your doctor and ask what's the recommendation for you?"
More information
Learn more about cervical cancer and PAP screening from the American Cancer Society.
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Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Last updated 11/2/2009
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SOURCES: K. Robin Yabroff, Ph.D., epidemiologist, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md.; Amy Chapman, M.D., department of obstetrics and gynecology, Scott and White Healthcare, Round Rock, Tex.; Nov. 3, 2009, Annals of Internal Medicine
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