IMPLEMENTATION OF THE USE OF COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES TO PREVENT CERVICAL CANCER: ACTIVE SEARCH THROUGH THE INSTANT MESSAGING APPLICATION WHATSAPP®

Abstract

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality among women in Brazil, especially in regions with low adherence to preventive screening programs. In Brazil, it is estimated that more than 17,000 new cases of the disease are diagnosed each year. In Minas Gerais (MG) and in the municipality of Passos, where cytopathological examination of the cervix (Papanicolaou) coverage is still below ideal, challenges related to accessibility and women's adherence to preventive examinations are frequent. This study aims to report the experience of implementing the use of communication technologies, specifically WhatsApp^®, in the prevention of cervical cancer at the Novo Horizonte Family Health Strategy (FHS), in Passos/MG. The work is based on an experience report of the health team at Novo Horizonte FHS, focused on the implementation of the WhatsApp^® tool for the active search of women between the ages of 25 and 64, the target audience for cervical cancer screening. The experience included sending messages to schedule and remind patients about the exam, in addition to providing guidance on the importance of prevention. The intervention was evaluated through the analysis of the adherence rate to scheduling preventive exams via WhatsApp^®, followed by attendance for the procedure. The proposed implementation of communication technologies for cervical cancer prevention, using active outreach through the WhatsApp^® application, proved ineffective within the context of this health unit. Despite a promising start, there was a significant decline in engagement in the following weeks. It was concluded that the use of WhatsApp^® as an active outreach tool was not effective for this team.