Screening for disease identification or condition control is the topic of argument among healthcare providers. The equipment is expensive, the process requires sufficient human and economic costs, and risks for severe influence on patient conditions it generates are not explored sufficiently. Studies of the procedure implementation for different diseases have controversial recommendations, and analyzing them along with epidemiologic data can help understand if they are necessary for prevention and treatment (Friis & Sellers, 2021). This paper aims to discuss the recommendations and considerations of screening based on the article about cervical cancer detection and prevention.
The article “Cervical Cancer: Prevention and Early Detection” written by Kessler in 2017 revealed how screening education could help timely and efficiently address oncologic conditions. Kessler (2017) claims that “the use of the Pap test and HPV test, according to published guidelines, provides the most effective means of screening for cervical cancer” (p. 177). The author also recommended that timely detection was crucial for cervical cancer prevention, and nursing education must include the most current and workable practices for performing it (Kessler, 2017). HPV vaccination is a proven strategy for minimizing the risk for oncologic deviations development, and screening is crucial for gathering epidemiological evidence and addressing the healthcare challenge (Fontham et al., 2020). The selected article’s recommendations pointed to the nursing education about screening yet contain ethical considerations. Indeed, the results and sampling did not include the exceptions of nursing practice, and the overall promotion of screening intervention and vaccination threatens the principle of authority (Nash et al., 2021). Despite the ethical considerations, the recommendations are beneficial for the population’s health and are justified.
Cervical cancer is a health challenge, the outcomes of which depend on timely detection, intervention, and preventative measures. In the United States, more than 14,000 cases are diagnosed among women between the ages of 35 and 44, and about 4,000 of them will die from the conditions’ complications (The American Cancer Society, 2021). Epidemiological evidence suggests that the number can be decreased through screening because the tests allow detection of pre-cancer conditions which can be treated.
The Pap and HVP tests are the screening measures for cervical cancer detection, and they allow healthcare providers to find the deviations at the earliest stages when the risk can be eliminated. The procedures are population-based because they are necessary for female health check-ups performed by adult women (Fontham et al., 2020). Consequently, the article’s recommendations to enhance screening education for nursing practitioners are beneficial and justified, as most professionals will perform the procedure in their facilities.
Screening for oncologic conditions can be avoided for multiple reasons, such as the fear of finding out about the disease, economic costs, or the inability to afford further treatment. However, the awareness about cervical cancer increases nationwide, and population health can be improved through new policies’ implementation. Indeed, education for nursing practitioners can include practices to explain the importance of screening for cervical cancer and enhance their skills in performing the procedures (Kessler, 2017). Policymakers can influence women’s decisions towards selecting to make Pap and HVP tests through campaigns and regulations for healthcare insurance.
Screening requires human and economic costs and can be harmful to a patient’s health. However, cervical cancer tests are an example of a procedure that can help prevent severe disease and death for adult women. Consequently, nursing practitioners need to be educated to describe the benefits of the screening to help a patient make correct decisions. Cervical cancer is a population health problem, and addressing it involves healthcare providers, policymakers, and the risk group.
References
American Cancer Society. (2021). Key statistics for cervical cancer. Web.
Fontham, E. T., Wolf, A. M., Church, T. R., Etzioni, R., Flowers, C. R., Herzig, A., Guerra, C. E., Oeffinger, K. C., Shih, Y. T., Walter, L. C., Kim, J. J., Andrews, K. S., DeSantis C. E., Fedewa, S. A., Manassaram-Baptiste, D., Saslow, D., Wender, R. C., & Smith, R. A. (2020). Cervical cancer screening for individuals at average risk: 2020 guideline update from the American Cancer Society. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 70(5), 321-346. Web.
Friis, R. H., & Sellers, T. A. (2021). Epidemiology for public health practice (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett.
Kessler, T. A. (2017). Cervical cancer: Prevention and early detection. Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 33(2), 172–183. Web.
Nash, D. B., Skoufalos, A., Fabius, R. J., & Oglesby, W. H. (2021). Population health: Creating a culture of wellness (3rd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.