Employing qualified personnel to perform the test and adhering to approved quality control procedures is critical. Good laboratories employ qualified personnel, allow sufficient time for screening, do not offer financial incentives to speed screening and rigorously follow approved laboratory methods and quality assurance procedures. A woman can help assure the quality of her Pap smear sample by scheduling the exam at the optimum time, between the 12th and 16th days of the menstrual cycle. For best results, abstaining from intercourse for 24 hours and avoiding use of vaginal contraceptive products, medications and douches for 72 hours prior to the exam are advised. Certification by the ASCP Board of Registry means that the cytotechnologist has completed academic requirements, as well as clinical laboratory training, and passed a national examination.
Surveys show that certified personnel perform the most consistently accurate tests.
Pathologists and cytopathologists should be certified by the American Board of Pathology. The Pap smear test depends on human judgment, and the interpretation of the test sample is based in part on an accompanying patient history relating to cervical cancer risk factors. Patient and physician should discuss test results and plan the next steps required. In the case of normal tests, scheduling an appropriate timetable for future examinations and Pap smears is important. An abnormal Pap smear test does not necessarily mean cancer is present, but that additional attention and interpretation is required.