Cervical cancer screening in Canada: 2021/2022
Access to screening without a primary care provider
Six provinces and two territories require participants to have a primary care provider (PCP) to access cervical screening. In cases where participants do not have a PCP, programs may connect participants to a PCP, or participants can often access screening through a walk-in clinic, Pap clinics, and/or sexual health clinics. In most jurisdictions, the clinic which completed the Pap test will contact participants with results, regardless of if they have a PCP or not.
Access to cervical screening for those without a primary care provider
| P/T | PCP required to access test | Access to Pap test for those without a PCP | Receiving results without a PCP | Identification of a PCP if follow-up required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YT | ✓ | |||
| NT | ||||
| NU | ✓ | Community Health Nurses’ can provide Pap test to any eligible individuals in Nunavut. This can be done through regular scheduled appointment at the health centre. | Results are distributed to the Supervisor of Community Health Programs (SCHP) of the health centre for review. Results maybe shared with the ordering provider for follow-up or maybe discussed by the SCHP. | Depended on staffing available |
| BC* | ||||
| AB | RNs can perform Pap test with support of PCP. | ✓ | RNs must help connect patient to PCP. | |
| SK | ✓ | Program partners with walk-in clinics to help connect to primary care if needed. | Program sends result letter to client regardless of PCP status. | |
| MB | Individuals without a PCP can attend at a Pap Clinic. | Pap clinic site will contact individual if Pap result is abnormal. Individual will not be contacted if result is normal. Individual can contact CervixCheck for a copy of their cervical cancer screening history. | Pap clinic will assume responsibility for follow up activities if individual does not have a PCP. | |
| ON | ✓^ | |||
| QC | ✓ | Some CLSCs or medical clinics offer this service for those without PCP. | The professional who performed the test is responsible for communicating the result. | |
| NB | ✓ | ✓ via Pap test clinics throughout the province. | ✓ Result notification is the responsibility of the Provider / Clinic who completed the Pap test, regardless if they are the PCP. | ✓ All Pap tests require a responsible provider to follow up on abnormal results. NB’s Cervical Screening Program sends reminder correspondence to responsible providers and participant based on NB CPGs when recommended abnormal follow up testing is overdue. |
| NS | ✓ | Well woman clinics | Patient screening histories available from Cervical Cancer Prevention Program | Follow-up managed by smeartaker |
| PE | Regional Pap clinics provided by primary care network, conducted with registered nurses as pap clinician, Health PE Women’s Wellness Program offering sexual health services, Public Health |
Letter, if pap was completed in a regional pap clinic | Primary care network nurse practitioner will coordinate follow up on paps completed in a regional pap clinic. Women’s Wellness Program nurse practitioner or doctor will coordinate follow up on paps completed with the wellness program. |
|
| NL | NL cervical screening has a service grants to enhance opportunities for participants to access cervical screening with or without a primary care provider |
BC: *In BC people can access a Pap through some nurses or through clinics that are not the person’s regular PCP.
ON: ^ If someone does not have a PCP, they can get a cervical screening test at some public health units, sexual health clinics, midwifery clinics, student health clinics or walk-in clinics. A program is also available in Ontario called Health Care Connect that supports people in finding a PCP. Participant receives a result letter through our correspondence program and the PCP who ordered the test, including advice regarding appropriate next steps. The PCP who orders the cervical screening test is responsible for coordinating follow-up as required.