Table 5 Eligibility criteria for key question 5 (interventions to increase screening rates)

Population

Individuals with a cervix who would meet the criteria for cervical cancer screening, but who have never been screened or who have been under-screened, as defined by the study authors, when assessed against current screening recommendations (e.g. for screening interval).

Population subgroups:

– Indigenous peoples

– Immigrant groups

– Rural populations

– Low socioeconomic status populations

Individuals with symptoms of cervical cancer or previous abnormal test results on cervical screening (unless cleared to return to normal screening)

Individuals who have had complete surgical removal of the cervix

Intervention

– Mail-out or opt-in (invitation to request) self-sampling for hrHPV screening

– Other interventions aimed at individuals or primary care providers with the intent to increase acceptability of screening (e.g. screening reminders, education, counselling, provider recommendation, addressing cultural practices and beliefs, patient-provider communication)

Interventions not targeted to primary care providers or feasible for primary care to deliver to their patients (e.g. community or lay health workers, community distribution of HPV self-sampling kits)

Comparator

– No intervention

– Routine care (could include reminders or invitations to screen, or other forms of minimal intervention like pamphlets, posters)

Outcomes

Screening rate

Timing

No limitation on the duration of follow-up

Setting

– Primary care settings or settings available through primary care referral (note we will not exclude primary care interventions that are implemented alongside or in support of broader public health initiatives (e.g. reminders))

– Studies involving populations from Very High Development Index countries

Study design

– Randomized controlled trials

– Non-randomized trials and cohort studies (will only be considered if there are no data available from randomized controlled trials)

Conference proceedings; government reports; case series; case reports; case-control studies; editorials

Language

English or French

Publication date

2000–present