Increasing Access to Cervical Cancer Prevention through Innovative Technology in Rural Nicaragua: Culturally Tailored mHealth Approaches to Increase Impact

Caused by high risk strains of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable, yet significant morbidity and mortality persist in LMICs. Based on a long-term collaboration centered on access to care and cultural considerations for women's health on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, we propose a novel combination of expertise on HPV screening and treatment (Mitchell), and an app/communication intervention (Dillingham) in order to: expand HPV DNA testing as primary screening in a culturally appropriate way to the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua; implement telecolposcopy for women needing follow-up to decrease time to results communication and lost-to-follow-up rates; develop an app/communication intervention to decrease lost-to-follow-up rates and improve patient navigation; and to analyze the National cervical cancer registry in partnership with Movicancer.