Colposcopy audit for improving quality of service in areas with a high incidence of cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE: To audit routine colposcopy performance using 8 standard requirements of the National Health Service Cervical Screening Programme (NHSCSP). METHODS: Records of women who underwent colposcopy for abnormal cervical cytology between January and December 2008 at Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand, were reviewed. RESULTS: The standard requirements were not achieved in 2 practices: (1) the proportion of women who had recordings of visibility of the transformation zone (96.6%) did not achieve the NHSCSP requirement of 100%; and (2) the rate of excisional biopsy (87.8%) was lower than the 95% minimum required. CONCLUSION: Colposcopic performance at Chiang Mai University Hospital was generally favorable. However, re-audit is necessary to ensure that unmet standards of performance are improved and achieved standards are maintained.