ArticleBMC women's health2019
Exploring the feasibility of using mobile phones to improve the management of clients with cervical cancer precursor lesions.
Article in BMC women's health, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 53 citations in OpenAlex.
- Barriers associated with the implementation, adoption, scale-up and sustainability of mHealth in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review guided by the NASSS Framework.BMJ health & care informatics · 2026Pooled it
- Patients' Perspectives on the Data Confidentiality, Privacy, and Security of mHealth Apps: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Pooled it
- Understanding barriers of receiving short message service appointment reminders across African regions: a systematic review.BMJ health & care informatics · 2022Pooled it
- Accuracy of Smartphone Images of the Cervix After Acetic Acid Application for Diagnosing Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Grade 2 or Greater in Women With Positive Cervical Screening: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JCO global oncology · 2021Pooled it
- Mobile Technologies and Cervical Cancer Screening in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review.JCO global oncology · 2020Pooled it
- The impact of text message reminders on cryotherapy uptake among women testing positive for HPV in western Kenya: a prospective cohort study.BMC women's health · 2024Trial
- Implementation of an mHealth intervention to increase adherence to triage among HPV positive women with HPV-self-collection (ATICA study): post-implementation evaluation from the women's perspective.BMC women's health · 2023Trial
- A global scoping review of interventions to increase participation in screening programmes for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer between 2016 and 2025.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Challenges and facilitators in pathways to cancer diagnosis in Southern Africa: a qualitative study.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Effect of ethnicity and other sociodemographic factors on attendance at ophthalmology appointments following referral from a Diabetic Eye Screening Programme: a retrospective cohort study.BMJ open ophthalmology · 2025Article
- Exploring usability problems of mHealth applications developed for cervical cancer: An empirical study.SAGE open medicine · 2023Article
- Cancer in sub-Saharan Africa: a Lancet Oncology Commission.The Lancet. Oncology · 2022Review
- Development of a text message-based intervention for follow-up colposcopy among predominately underserved Black and Hispanic/Latinx women.Cancer causes & control : CCC · 2022Article
- Developing a culturally tailored short message service (SMS) intervention for improving the uptake of cervical cancer screening among Ghanaian women in urban communities.BMC women's health · 2022Article
- Effectiveness of an mHealth intervention to increase adherence to triage of HPV DNA positive women who have performed self-collection (the ATICA study): A hybrid type I cluster randomised effectiveness-implementation trial.Lancet regional health. Americas · 2022Article
- Effects of Mobile Application Program (App)-Assisted Health Education on Preventive Behaviors and Cancer Literacy among Women with Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Expanding telemedicine to reduce the burden on the healthcare systems and poverty in Africa for a post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic reformation.Global health journal (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2021Review
- Mobile health applications for disease screening and treatment support in low-and middle-income countries: A narrative review.Heliyon · 2021Review
- Mapping evidence of mobile health technologies for disease diagnosis and treatment support by health workers in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2021Article
- Exploring primary care level provider interpretation and management of potential breast and cervical cancer signs and symptoms in South Africa.Ecancermedicalscience · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCancer screening programs hold much potential for reducing the cervical cancer disease burden in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of mobile health (mHealth) phone technology to improve management and follow-up of clients with cervical cancer precursor lesions.
methodsA sequential mixed methods design was employed for this study. Quantitative data was collected using a cross-sectional survey of 364 women eligible for a Pap smear at public sector health services in Cape Town, South Africa. Information was collected on socio-demographic status; cell phone ownership and patterns of use; knowledge of cervical cancer prevention; and interest in Pap smear results and appointment reminders via SMS-text messages. Descriptive statistics, crude bivariate comparisons and logistic regression models were employed to analyze survey results. Qualitative data was collected through 10 in-depth interviews with primary health care providers and managers involved in cervical cancer screening. Four focus group discussions with 27 women attending a tertiary level colposcopy clinic were also conducted. Themes related to loss of mobile phones, privacy and confidentiality, interest in receiving SMS-text messages, text language and clinic-based management of a SMS system are discussed. Thematic analyses of qualitative data complemented quantitative findings.
resultsPhone ownership amongst surveyed women was 98% with phones mostly used for calls and short message service (SMS) functions. Over half (58%) of women reported loss/theft of mobile phones. Overall, there was interest in SMS interventions for receiving Pap smear results and appointment reminders. Reasons for interest, articulated by both providers and clients, included convenience, cost and time-saving benefits and benefits of not taking time off work. However, concerns were expressed around confidentiality of SMS messages, loss/theft of mobile phones, receiving negative results via SMS and accessibility/clarity of language used to convey messages. Responsibility for the management of a clinic-based SMS system was also raised.
conclusionsResults indicated interest and potential for mHealth interventions in improving follow-up and management of clients with abnormal Pap smears. Health system and privacy issues will need to be addressed for mHealth to achieve this potential. Next steps include piloting of specific SMS messages to test feasibility and acceptability in this setting.
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