NSW Pap Test Register

Information for Health Professionals

What services does the NSW Pap Test Register provide?

Services provided to health practitioners:

The Register can provide details of a woman's Pap test and follow-up test history to the woman's health practitioner to assist in her care. If you would like to access details of one of your patient's test histories then contact the Information Line on 1800 671 693 (toll free) or (02) 8374 5692. Previous test details can be provided by return phone call or in writing
The Register can support your reminder service by providing a list of a health practitioner's patients who are overdue for a Pap test. This list is provided on disk. To obtain a list, please download the request form or contact the Information Line on 1800 671 693 (toll free) or (02) 8374 5692.

Services provided to pathology laboratories:

The Register provides pathology laboratories with details of a woman's previous Pap test results and cervical histology history (regardless of previous pathology laboratory) in order to assist in the interpretation of her current test

The Register provides pathology laboratories with statistical data for quality assurance purposes

Statistical services:

The Register collates and reports de-identified statistical data to assist in planning services and improving the understanding of cervical abnormalities.
The Register can supply de-identified cervical screening data to research projects subject to the approval of the appropriate ethics committee
The Register prepares a statistical report with the NSW Cervical Screening Program
Other statistical reports are produced for NSW Department of Health and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing to assist in the national cervical screening program

How can you assist the NSW Pap Test Register?

Health practitioners can assist the Register in it's operations by:

Informing women about the Register and it's purpose and encouraging women to join but advising them of the option to opt off if they wish (See 'What are the treating practitioner's legal obligations?' for more details).
Providing complete and accurate demographic details on the pathology request form when a Pap test or cervical histology test has been performed. This helps to ensure that accurate and current information is on the Register, allowing faster recall of previous results and improved targeting of reminder letters.
Completing patient follow-up questionnaires to the Register. The data collected from these questionnaires allow the Register to provide the most appropriate follow-up and reminder services to women who have had an abnormal test result.

What are the treating practitioner's legal obligations?

The Public Health Amendment Act 1996 (No. 1) requires that the practitioner ask women for their consent to participate in the Register each time the practitioner carries out a cervical cancer test. The practitioner should inform each woman that she may choose to have her identity withheld from the Register each time she has a test.

In addition, if the practitioner's records do not indicate that she has already been given information about the Register, the practitioner should inform her that:

the purpose of the Register is to assist program planning and to improve the understanding of cervical abnormalities;
her name, address, date of birth, the details and results of the test will be recorded on the Register together with the practitioner's details and those of the laboratory;
this information is used to
- remind women who are overdue for a test,
- ensure women with an abnormal test are offered follow-up care,
- keep a history of their results to help their doctor or the laboratory analysing their test.
this information is kept strictly confidential – access is only given to the woman, her health practitioner, the laboratory analysing the test or someone with her written consent. The only exception to this rule arises if the Register is served with a court order or subpoena for release of information.

How can practitioners assist women to opt off the Register?

If a woman does not wish to be on the Register, the practitioner needs to attach a yellow "Not for the Pap Test Register" sticker or write clearly on each page of the pathology request form "Not for Pap Test Register". This needs to be done each time the practitioner carries out a cervical cancer test (pap test or cervical histology test), otherwise the woman's details will be automatically transmitted to the Register. The stickers help the laboratory easily identify which tests are not for the Pap Test Register.

Stickers can be ordered by calling the Information Line on 1800 671 693.

What resources are available?

The Register can supply health practitioners with the following resources:

Brochures for women (in English and several other languages)
'Not for the Pap Test Register' stickers
Guidelines for Health Practitioners
Posters
Posters for indigenous women
Reminder and Follow-up Protocol cards.

To order resources please contact the Information Line on 1800 671 693.

For Pap test brochures and other Pap test resources, visit the NSW Cervical Screening Program web site

Where can more information be found?

For more information about cervical screening please contact the NSW Cervical Screening Program on 13 15 56 or visit the NSW Cervical Screening Program web site.

How to contact the NSW Pap Test Register

By phone:	1800 671 693 (toll free) or (02) 8374 5692 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. (A translating and interpreting service can be accessed by calling 13 14 50)
By email:	nswpaptest@cancerinstitute.org.au
By mail:	NSW Pap Test Register Cancer Institute NSW Locked Bag 9014 Alexandria NSW 1435