Each year, cervical cancer causes the death of over 275,000 women worldwide with eighty percent of these cases occurring in low or lower-middle income countries. Cervical cancer screening programs reduce cervical cancer occurrence by identifying and treating pre-cancerous cervical abnormalities before they develop to malignant stages. Standard methods of screening are inappropriate for use in low-resource settings and therefore screening is very limited. Based on a design ethnography studyperformed over a two-month period in Ghana, a need was identified for a low-fidelity model to assist in training healthcare providers to screen for cervical cancer using visual inspection with acetic acid. The design presented in this paper is a box trainer with a simulated vaginal cavity that allows a user to insert cervical images displayed on plastic tabs or cards from the Jhpiego Visual Inspection of the Cervix Flash Card Set©. A modular electronic feedback mechanism trains the user to properly complete the steps of the screening procedure and to track the successes of their diagnoses. This paper describes the need for a cervical cancer screening trainer, the process used to design a trainer to support visual inspection with acetic acid, and the results of prototyping and preliminary usability tests.
Comparative study of visual inspection of the cervix by 3% acetic acid (VIA) versus Pap smear by Bethesda method in sexually active women aged 25-50 years as an equally or more effective cervical cancer screening method in a low resource setup
