Resource-Based Good Clinical Practice Recommendations for Colposcopy Standards and Quality Assurance in Colposcopy Practice

OBJECTIVE: Quality of colposcopy determines accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. India and low-middle income countries have varied resource settings offering colposcopy services; this group's objective was to develop defined standards for colposcopy with quality assurance in them to reach the goal of cervical cancer elimination. METHODS: An expert group comprising colposcopists, gynecologists, and gynecologic oncologists collated existing literature and guidelines. A framework applicable to India and similar low-middle income countries with diverse resources for providing colposcopy services in a standardized manner, stratified according to basic and advanced colposcopy centers, was formulated and circulated among experts. The revised version was deliberated in a face-to-face meeting to finalize the standards. Public comments were incorporated in the final document. RESULTS: Basic and advanced colposcopy centers were defined; essential and desirable components at these centers were specified. Recommendations for quality assurance evaluation and audits of ongoing services at both types of centers were also defined. Guidelines and recommendations for advanced centers suited for training were made. CONCLUSIONS: These good clinical practice recommendations will guide the provision and assessment of colposcopy services and can be widely applicable to all low-middle income countries.