Cervical cancer. Use of a non-physician health team for screening procedures.

A team of non-physician personnel has been trained in cytologic screening for cervical cancer. In a county hospital clinic setting among low income women whose annual pelvic examinations were being by-passed by physicians, this three-person team has performed pelvic examinations and screening under physician supervision for one year. Results of the first year's experience, measured in cancer detection and in recognition and referral of benign gynecological disease as well, would suggest that a non-physician team, with a registered nurse doing a pelvic examination of screening type, can screen for cervical cancer and other pelvic disease efficiently and without a significant lowering of the quality of medical care. The training and use of teams of allied health care personnel directed by physicians is suggested as a practical means of overcoming the increasing shortage of physician services in annual screening for cervical cancer among low income women.