Screening of cervical cancer using Smart scope at a Rural Health Training Centre, Pune, India: a cross-sectional study
The original article was published on April 25, 2025. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/tjph/article/1512683
Erratum Note
Published in Turkish Journal of Public Health, Volume 23, Issue 1 (2025), DOI: 10.20518/tjph.1512683- Screening of
cervical cancer using Smart scope at a Rural Health Training Centre, Pune, India: A cross-sectional study
a correction has been published for this article due to a technical problem raising from the publisher.
Abstract
Objective: To screen women for cervical cancer using Smart scope at a Rural Health Training Center, Pune, India.
Methods: The present study analyzed available screening data using a cross-sectional design. A private medical college’s rural health training center provides screening services to women above 30 years of age as per the Government of India’s guidelines. The guidelines include visual inspection after applying acetic acid (VIA). The study included data from June 2019 to January 2020, when a principal investigator was posted in a rural health training center. The study participants were married women. We screened all women giving consent. The authors used a Smart scope (image capturing and transmitting device), Cusco’s speculum, and acetic acid. The images were immediately transmitted to faculty from the Obstetrics and Gynecology department for prompt opinion.
Results: Out of 1,232 women, 179 consented. The mean age was 37.7 years. (SD=8.62). Eighty-three women showed cervical pathologies, and 14 were VIA positive. The majority of the women had vaginal discharge. The most common pathological lesion was cervical erosion (32.12%). The study found no association between age and parity with cervical pathological findings.
Conclusion: Smart scope helps prompt diagnosis of the condition of the cervix. Visualizing the photo of cervical pathology by the women enhances the patient’s health care seeking. It is a feasible and cost-effective process that overcomes the limitations of VIA.
Keywords
Cervical Screening, Smart Scope, Cervical Cancer, Cervical Pathologies
Ethical Statement
Approval was obtained from the institutional ethics committee prior to the study.
Thanks
The authors sincerely thank Principal of Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University Medical College, Pune, Dr. Mandar Karmarkar. We also thank Dr. J.S. Gothankar, Professor and Head Department of Community Medicine. We thank all the women who have undergone screening procedure.
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