Cervical screening in Canada, 2023-24
Access to cervical screening for participants 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, locum physicians, and NPs can provide Pap test to any eligible individuals. This can be done through regular scheduled appointment at the health centre or primary care clinic. | Results go back to ordering practitioner. In practitioner absence, results go to nurse in charge of the health centre or primary care clinic covering practitioner. | Organized through health centre or primary care clinic. |
| BC* | ✓ | Some nurses in BC are trained to provide Pap tests. | Pap tests must be done by a PCP or a nurse with support from a PCP to ensure follow-up can occur. | |
| AB | RNs can perform Pap test with PCP support. | Program sends result letter to client regardless of PCP status. Client can also see their laboratory reports via provincial health information portals. | RNs must help connect patient to PCP. | |
| SK | ✓ | Screening program partners with clinics to provide locations where Pap testing is available (e.g., if client has no healthcare provider, or client does not want a Pap test through their PCP).
SPCC, in partnership with primary care clinics, is offering cervical health screening clinics to the public. |
Program sends result letter to client regardless of PCP status.
Public can access their health record, including Pap results, using the provincial online health system MySaskHealthRecord. |
|
| MB | Individuals without a PCP can attend 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 | ✓ | 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. Someone can also get a cervical screening test through mobile screening coaches in two Regional Cancer Programs. A service is also available in Ontario called Health811 that supports people in finding health services in their area. | Participants receive a result letter through our correspondence program and the person who ordered the test receives a result report directly from the lab. | The person who orders the cervical screening test is responsible for coordinating follow-up as required. |
| 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 of 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 participants based on NB CPGs when recommended abnormal follow-up testing is overdue. |
| NS | ✓ | Well woman clinics, family planning clinics. | Patient screening histories available from Cervical Cancer Prevention Program. | Follow-up managed by smeartaker. |
| PE | Regional cervical screening clinics provided by primary care network, conducted with RNs as Pap/HPV clinician.
Health PE Women’s Wellness Program offering sexual health services. Public Health implemented HPV testing as primary screen in May 2023. |
Letter, if Pap/HPV was completed in a regional Pap clinic. | Primary care network nurse practitioner will coordinate follow-up on Paps completed in a regional Pap clinic. HPV clinicians and nurses will coordinate follow-up on positive HPV tests completed in a regional cervical screening clinic. This can include a direct referral for colposcopy if suggested by the lab.
Women’s Wellness Program nurse practitioner or doctor will coordinate follow-up on Paps completed with the program. Implemented HPV testing as primary screen in May 2023. |
|
| NL | NL cervical screening has service grants to enhance opportunities for participants to access cervical screening with or without a PCP. | Access to service grants has provisions included to ensure that those screened without a PCP through an open-access Pap clinic will receive any necessary follow-up. | Through the open Pap clinic, process mechanisms exist for those screened to receive the Pap test results. |
*BC: In BC, people can access a Pap through some nurses or through clinics that are not the person’s regular PCP.
^NB: NB Health Link is a new program aimed at providing access to healthcare services for residents who have a family doctor or nurse practitioner. This program is currently being phased in across the province.
-NT: No information was provided at the time data were collected.