Making decisions about screening: when is screening justified
| Criterion . |
|---|
| The condition should be an important health problem (either sufficiently prevalent or having significant consequences) |
| Individuals with a positive screening test would get a different management than those with a negative test |
| The condition being screened for should have a natural history that is understood and a recognized latent or early symptomatic stage |
| There should be an effective treatment/management for the condition that improves outcomes if administered before the condition is clinically apparent |
| The improvement in outcomes based on management according to screening results should outweigh harms of screening |
| There should be high- or moderate-quality evidence for a sufficient accuracy of the test (acceptable low rates of false-positives and -negatives) |
| Screening should be cost-effective |
| Screening should be acceptable to patients |
| Screening should be feasible to implement |
| Criterion . |
|---|
| The condition should be an important health problem (either sufficiently prevalent or having significant consequences) |
| Individuals with a positive screening test would get a different management than those with a negative test |
| The condition being screened for should have a natural history that is understood and a recognized latent or early symptomatic stage |
| There should be an effective treatment/management for the condition that improves outcomes if administered before the condition is clinically apparent |
| The improvement in outcomes based on management according to screening results should outweigh harms of screening |
| There should be high- or moderate-quality evidence for a sufficient accuracy of the test (acceptable low rates of false-positives and -negatives) |
| Screening should be cost-effective |
| Screening should be acceptable to patients |
| Screening should be feasible to implement |