Screen Your Way Study Protocol: Embedding community driven models to increase cervical screening via HPV self-collection to improve cervical cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

In July 2022, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection became available as a choice to all participants in Australia’s National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP). This policy change aims to facilitate equitable access to cervical screening; however, further evidence is needed to support its implementation and reach under-screened women and people with a cervix. This implementation study aims to embed HPV self-collection into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHO) and/or primary care organisations whose context is similar to that of an ACCHO. This will be achieved by co-designing, implementing, and evaluating models of care tailored to local needs. The aim is to increase cervical screening participation, particularly among under- and never-screened, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and people with a cervix. Ultimately the aim is to achieve equity in cervical cancer elimination.

Screen Your Way will use a before-and-after study design to evaluate the effectiveness, acceptability and sustainability of implemented strategies on cervical screening participation among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and people with a cervix. The study will be guided by an Indigenist research approach and will employ mixed methods.

Ethical approval has been obtained from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Research Ethics Committee (REC-0092), Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of New South Wales Ethics Committee (2078/23), the Australian National University Human Research Ethics Committee (H/2023/1103), and the Northern Territory Department of Health and Menzies School of Health Research (HREC2023-4557). Additional ethical approvals will be obtained as required by individual ACCHOs. Findings will be disseminated via workshops, reports, evidence briefs and resource creation to assist with the evidence-based scale up of self-collection in the ACCHO setting. Further dissemination will occur via conferences and peer-reviewed publications in partnership with the Screen Your Way Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Caucus.