Management guidelines: The latest
Dr. Mutch: The ASCCP issued new management guidelines in 2019.5 Can you address what you feel are the most important updates?
Dr. Huh: Going back to 2002, we have revised these guidelines every 5 years. For this one, the revision came out a little bit later for various reasons, but the reason we revised it is because we collect new data that we think markedly changes our understanding of the disease process and natural history and the interventions for women that have preinvasive disease of the cervix.
Briefly, I think the biggest changes based on what we were hearing from our providers and users of our apps and algorithms was that our algorithms were becoming way too complicated, and they were. If you look over the last 10 years, the number of branch points on our algorithms basically quadrupled. If we incorporated the new data this time, the algorithms would be unworkable, and you could not use them on your phone because they would be too complicated.
So, we created a system where, in essence, providers have 5 choices for patients:
- treatment
- colposcopy
- follow-up in 1 year
- follow-up in 3 years
- follow-up in 5 years.
Those recommendations are based on what we call “clinically actionable thresholds”—basically, the percent chance of developing immediate CIN3 or worse. That threshold will probably change over time, but what we did is create a system that (a) makes it easier for the provider, (although they have to trust the system—and they can look under the hood and understand how we did this) and (b) allows us to create a foundation where we can add future technologies that use the same rubric or paradigm so that they still wind up getting the same result without having to go to another algorithm.
This new system is probably the most marked change in the history of the ASCCP management guidelines, but we did it to make it ultimately easier for providers going forward for the next 10 to 20 years. There are real opportunities, Dr. Mutch, in terms of how do we integrate this into the electronic medical record (EMR), and how do we pull data so clinicians don’t have to manually enter it.
The other difference is now there is a web-based application. Back in 2012, there were a lot of people that were not using EMRs. Now the majority of the country is, and so they actually are on a browser more than they are on their phone. We actually have an equally robust web platform that allows them to get the information that they need.
Dr. Mutch: I think that is really important—the utility of utilizing a mobile app, if you will, for triaging your patient with a specific test result so that patients are followed up at the proper interval, and that ultimately becomes cost-effective.
Dr. Huh: Yes, the app now is very different than the app that I think people are used to using for the last almost 10 years. You don’t put inputs, pull up the algorithm, and look at the outcome. This is different. You enter the patient’s age. You add their cytology, their HPV results, the clinical scenario that you are in, and then it puts out a recommendation of what to do next. Over time, we want to get away from an algorithm and for our providers to understand what the risk is and how that risk calculation then translates into a clinical recommendation.
Dr. Mutch: I think to utilize an app is almost necessary given the complexity of the triaging process so that it does become, in fact, the most cost-effective way to screen patients.
Dr. Huh: I would agree with that. There is a learning curve for whenever you see new technology. There was a learning curve for even ASCCP leadership as they tried to educate providers. I think people will ultimately see that this is a much better way of managing patients with cervical abnormalities, and I am hoping actually that we will use a similar platform for many other diseases that we manage in women’s health.
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