Women and preventive health care: an exploratory study of the use of Pap smears in a potentially high-risk Appalachian population.

In the United States, medical services are organized to provide acute and chronic care. In such a system, people may not receive the routine preventive care necessary for the maintenance of their health. This study, conducted in the model family practice clinic of a residency training program, reports on the use of a preventive health measure (i.e., Pap smears) in a potentially high-risk population. The odds of receiving the Pap smear were calculated for selected variables for 253 patients. The most important variables for distinguishing the outcome (Pap/no Pap) were age and the medical reason for the visit. Although there was some indication that high-risk women were targeted for screening, our findings most strongly supported the claim that Pap smears were performed in this setting when they were requested, required, or convenient.