Barriers and facilitators to cervical cancer screening for women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; a qualitative study of GPs

OBJECTIVE: To explore general practitioners’ (GPs) perspectives on the barriers and facilitators to cervical cancer screening (CCS) for women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive study involving semi-structured interviews, with interview guide informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework. SETTING: Adelaide, South Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Twelve GPs with experience in providing CCS to women from CALD backgrounds participated. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged: ‘importance of clinician–patient relationship’, ‘patients’ cultural understanding regarding health care and CCS’, ‘communication and language’ and ‘health system related’. Each theme had several subthemes. GPs’ professional relationship with their patients and repeated advice from other clinicians, together with the provision of opportunistic CCS, were described as facilitators, and encompassed the theme of ‘importance of clinician–patient relationship’. This theme also raised the possibility of self-collection human papilloma virus tests. Lack of awareness and knowledge, lower priority for cancer screening and patients’ individual circumstances contributed to the theme of ‘patients’ cultural understanding regarding health care and CCS’, and often acted as barriers to CCS. ‘Communication and language’ consisted of language difficulties, interpreter use and use of appropriate resources. Language difficulties were a barrier to the provision of CCS, and GPs used interpreters and written handouts to help overcome this. The theme of ‘health system related’ involved the increased time needed for CCS consults for CALD women, access to appointments, funding, health promotion and effective use of practice management software. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights that multiple, inter-related barriers and facilitators influence CALD women’s engagement with CCS, and that GPs needed to manage all of these factors in order to encourage CCS participation. More efforts are needed to address the barriers to ensure that GPs have access to appropriate resources, and CALD patients have access to GPs they trust.