Screening in Public Health and Clinical Care: Similarities and Differences in Definitions, Types, and Aims – A Systematic Review
| Autor: | Abraham Kunnilathu, Benoy Mathew, Mark Speechley, Eldhose K George, M S Balakrishna, Eby Aluckal |
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| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
education Clinical Biochemistry Scopus lcsh:Medicine Terminology 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Epidemiology medicine Community Medicine Section Infection control 030212 general & internal medicine public health screening programs business.industry Public health lcsh:R Subject (documents) General Medicine clinical practice Test (assessment) 030220 oncology & carcinogenesis Family medicine surveillance business |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, Vol 11, Iss 3, Pp LE01-LE04 (2017) |
| ISSN: | 2249-782X |
| Popis: | Introduction The concept of screening can be many times misleading to many people. This may be partly due to the way screening is described and explained in textbooks and journal articles. Aim To review prominent public health and epidemiology textbooks, dictionaries, and relevant journal publications for definitions and examples of screening, with the aim of identifying common usages and concepts, as well as sources of potential confusion. Materials and methods Commonly available epidemiology and public health textbooks and peer reviewed journals were searched for definitions and examples of screening. The search located seven journal articles, 10 textbooks, and one dictionary. The search platforms used were Pubmed, BIOSIS, EMBASE, Medline-OVID and Scopus under the Epidemiology and Biostatics subject head listed with Life Sciences. Results Descriptions of screening give varying emphasis to whether it is a test or a program, the aims of screening, the setting in which it is conducted, eligibility criteria, who initiates and who is intended to benefit and whether the condition being screened is an infectious or chronic disease or a risk-elevated state. Four essentially different 'types' of screening are described, using seven terms and occasionally contradictory examples. The detection of asymptomatic infectious cases is gradually changing from screening to surveillance as part of infection control. Conclusion Voluntary screening programs rely on high participation to be effective and support and trust of the public are essential for the continued success of the public health profession. Consistent terminology is important for patients, providers and policymakers to understand what screening is and is not. Clear definitions are needed if we are to evaluate and communicate the risks and benefits of screening in public health. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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