Cervical screening in Canada, 2023-24
Recall following a normal Pap test
Seven provinces send recall letters at the program-identified interval following a normal Pap test. Five of these provinces send the letter to the participant only, one sends it to primary care providers only, and one sends it to both the participant and primary care provider. Nunavut and Northwest Territories use phone calls as a recall method. In addition, seven jurisdictions send reminder letters to either the participant or the primary care provider if the participant does not initiate screening after receiving the recall letter.
Recall following a normal Pap test
| P/T | Recall method | Recall sent to | Recall issued by | Reminder letter if screening is not initiated |
| YT | – | – | – | – |
| NT | Phone call | PCP | PCP | |
| NU* | Phone call | PCP | PCP (individual well-woman clinics organized by nursing station nurses or clinic nurses organize recall) |
✓ |
| BC | Letter | Participant, PCP | Screening program | Letter to PCP is sent after participant letter |
| AB | Letter | Participant | Screening program | ✓ (participants only) |
| SK | Letter | Participant | Screening program | ✓ |
| MB | Letter | Participant | Screening program | ✓ (participants only) |
| ON | Letter | Participant | Screening program, PCP (may use other strategies) | ✓ |
| QC^ | ||||
| NB | Letter | Participant | Screening program | ✓ (participants only) |
| NS | No programmatic recall in place | |||
| PE | No programmatic recall in place | |||
| NL | Letter Process being refined |
PCP Process being refined |
Screening program, PCP Process being refined |
*NU: Although there is no organized screening program available, many health centres have created their own recall methods and listings to provide reminders. This is specific to each health center and dependent on the staff who are available to support.
^QC: Quebec has no organized screening program.
-YT: No information was provided at the time data were collected.