This semester so far has been by far one of the most unique learning experiences that I’ve ever had. It’s not every semester that I get to spend more than just a day at a facility that provides one of a kind compassionate and comprehensive care to a certain populations of people. Also, I feel that getting the chance to make a real difference in this clinic is another experience that does not come around very often.
So what has been happening at the 1917 Clinic?
I’ve continued to weekly identify and contact the women coming into the clinic in the next week who are not up to date on their GYN services. It has been very interesting to hear the reactions of the women when I call them. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the majority of the women seem genuinely pleased that someone is calling them, informing them of a health need. I have received positive response from the vast majority of women, and I have received negative responses in a very small number of the women. This has been encouraging to me as I continue to make phone calls—it would be rough to continue if the people I spoke to were angry that I was calling!
I’ve been gathering statistics for the majority of the semester, and it has been educational to begin analyzing them. I’m finding that roughly 50% of the women that I call actually receive their GYN services. One of the concerns at the beginning of the project was that perhaps by calling women and telling them they needed a pap smear, they may in fact be less likely to show to their appointment, perhaps out of nervousness of having a GYN exam. From that data I have collected so far, I have actually found that only around ¼ of women that I talk to do not show up for appointments, which is not any higher that it was before the phone calls were made.
Over the remainder of the semester, the majority of my efforts will be spent in adding to my statistics weekly, as well as analyzing them to determine the implications. Ultimately, I would like to answer one very important question. Are these phone calls improving the adherence of women living with HIV to the recommended screening for cervical cancer?
More on this in the coming weeks!
