For years, women in remote Kimberley communities faced an impossible choice - travel hundreds of kilometres for cervical screening or go without. Now, thanks to groundbreaking research from the University of Notre Dame Australia, that choice is being transformed.
A new study, published in The Lancet Public Health, demonstrates how taking cervical screening directly to women's doorsteps is reshaping healthcare access in some of Australia's most isolated communities.
Led by Dr Aime Powell, Professor Jim Codde and Associate Professor Katrina Spilsbury from Notre Dame's Institute for Health Research, the national research team partnered with experts and local services to trial a new model. Instead of women travelling to healthcare, healthcare travels to them.
Working with six Kimberley communities, the team co-designed a culturally respectful approach that combines self-collection, immediate HPV testing and same-day specialist follow-up. These services were delivered through WA Country Health Service outreach teams, ensuring care was accessible, timely and trusted.
The results were striking. Almost 110 women participated, reaching 64% of the region's annual screening target in just four months. Almost all participants (99%) said they would recommend the program to others, citing privacy, convenience and the relief of same-day results.
As one participant shared: "I was very happy to have all tests and procedures done in one day. I would have been anxious if I had to wait. It's about time remote communities had proper access to healthcare".
Researchers say the success of the program highlights the power of community-led design.
"When we design healthcare with communities, prioritise cultural safety and ensure Aboriginal leadership guides the process, incredible things happen," said Dr Powell.
The study offers a promising new model for advancing health equity across Australia and supports the National Strategy for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer.
This work was supported by the Commonwealth's Department of Health's Indigenous Australians' Health Program Emerging Priorities Grant, the Australian Gynaecological Cancer Foundation's Cindy Sullivan Fellowship and the Mary Jane Foundation.
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