Cervical cancer, though largely preventable, remains one of the leading causes of mortality in women worldwide. Despite the effectiveness of HPV vaccination and routine screening in preventing cervical cancer, many women remain unaware of their risk. Hospitalization can be a crucial opportunity for prevention, especially for individuals without access to consistent outpatient care. The purpose of this quality improvement project is to propose a cervical cancer risk assessment tool that healthcare providers can use during inpatient admission screenings for all women. A comprehensive literature review was completed to identify the most significant risk factors for cervical cancer, and these findings were used to develop a concise, weighted risk assessment tool. Education sessions will be provided to clinical staff on a 14-bed inpatient gynecology floor, and pre- and post-tests will be completed to evaluate increase in knowledge, confidence and overall feasibility in using the proposed risk assessment tool. Anticipated outcomes include improved understanding of cervical cancer risk factors, risk stratification during inpatient admission, and enhanced patient education regarding cervical cancer risk and prevention. Long-term goals include embedding the tool into inpatient electronic health record (EHR) workflows to identify women at risk, thereby reducing missed screening opportunities, and ultimately decreasing preventable cervical cancer incidence through earlier identification and intervention.
