Smartphone-Enhanced Training, QA, Monitoring, and Evaluation of a Platform for Secondary Prevention of Cervical Cancer: Opportunities and Challenges to Implementation in Tanzania

Abstract

PURPOSE Until human papillomavirus (HPV)–based cervical screening is more affordable and widely available, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) is recommended by the WHO for screening in lower-resource settings. Visual inspection will still be required to assess the cervix for women whose screening is positive for high-risk HPV. However, the quality of VIA can vary widely, and it is difficult to maintain a well-trained cadre of providers. We developed a smartphone-enhanced VIA platform (SEVIA) for real-time secure sharing of cervical images for remote supportive supervision, data monitoring, and evaluation. METHODS We assessed programmatic outcomes so that findings could be translated into routine care in the Tanzania National Cervical Cancer Prevention Program. We compared VIA positivity rates (for HIV-positive and HIV-negative women) before and after implementation. We collected demographic, diagnostic, treatment, and loss-to-follow-up data. RESULTS From July 2016 to June 2017, 10,545 women were screened using SEVIA at 24 health facilities across 5 regions of Tanzania. In the first 6 months of implementation, screening quality increased significantly from the baseline rate in the prior year, with a well-trained cadre of more than 50 health providers who “graduated” from the supportive-supervision training model. However, losses to follow-up for women referred for further evaluation or to a higher level of care were considerable. CONCLUSION The SEVIA platform is a feasible, quality improvement, mobile health intervention that can be integrated into a national cervical screening program. Our model demonstrates potential for scalability. As HPV screening becomes more affordable, the platform can be used for visual assessment of the cervix to determine amenability for same-day ablative therapy and/or as a secondary triage step, if needed.