QIM 9: Proportion of regular female clients with an up-to-date cervical screening test recorded in their GP record within the previous 5 years

Cervical cancer develops when abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix begin to multiply out of control and form precancerous lesions. If undetected, these lesions can develop into tumours and spread into the surrounding tissue. Australia commenced an organised program of routine cervical screening of the eligible female population in 1991, and the cervical screening test was introduced in Australia in December 2017, replacing the old Pap smear test. The Pap smear test used to look for changes in the cells of the cervix. The new cervical screening test looks for evidence of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can lead to cell changes in the cervix (AIHW 2019c). In Australia, cervical cancer accounts for less than 2% of all female cancers, with a relatively low incidence of 7 new cases per 100,000 women of all ages (AIHW 2019c).

Women aged 25 to 74 years become eligible to receive their first cervical screening test 2 years after the last Pap smear test was done, and then the cervical screening test should be conducted every 5 years. A small minority of data from Pap smear tests performed before December 2017 may be included in the report.

Capture of results recorded outside of the general practice setting

Results arising from cervical screening tests conducted outside of the service that are known and recorded by the practice are included in the measure. However, sometimes cervical screening test results recorded elsewhere are not captured in this report. For example, this might be a result from a community health centre, women’s health centre, family planning or sexual health clinic that is not recorded in the clinical information system of the client’s usual general practice due to an incompatible clinical information system between a practice and a specialist service.

Other sources of relevant data

There are other administrative data collections where the data on cervical screening tests are captured, for example, the National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR).

This indicator reports on the proportion of regular female clients aged 25 to 74 years, who have not had a hysterectomy, who had a cervical screening test (for human papillomavirus) recorded in their GP record after 1 December 2017 and within the previous 5 years.

QIM 9: Regional proportions

As of July 2022, nationally, 38.2% of regular female clients aged 25 to 74 years had a cervical screening test recorded in their GP record after 1 December 2017 and within the previous 5 years. This varied from 21.9% to 51.3% across PHNs.

Figure 45: Proportion of regular female clients aged 25 to 74 with a cervical screening test recorded in their GP record within the previous 5 years, by PHN, July 2022

This bar chart shows the proportion of female regular clients aged 25 to 74 years with a cervical screening test recorded in their GP record, by PHN for July 2022.

QIM 9: National proportions over time

Nationally, between July 2021 and July 2022, the proportion of regular female clients who had a cervical screening test recorded in their GP record after 1 December 2017 and within the previous 5 years remained constant at 37.7% and 38.2% respectively.

Figure 46: Proportion of regular female clients aged 25 to 74 years with a cervical screening test recorded in their GP record within the previous 5 years, July 2021 to July 2022

This line chart shows the proportion of female regular clients aged 25 to 74 years with a cervical screening test recorded in their GP record, from July 2021 to July 2022.

QIM 9: National proportions by age

As of July 2022, nationally, the proportion of regular female clients aged 25 to 74 years with a cervical screening test recorded in their GP record after 1 December 2017 and within the previous 5 years was highest in the 45–54 years age group (43.0%) and lowest in the 70–74 years age group (32.2%).

Figure 47: Proportion of regular female clients aged 25 to 74 years with a cervical screening test recorded in their GP record within the previous 5 years, by age, July 2022

This bar chart shows the proportion of female regular clients aged 25 to 74 years with a cervical screening test recorded in their GP record, by age for July 2022.