Screening identifies the possibility of a disease, not the disease itself, and is usually undertaken in the absence of any signs of disease. Screening tests are clinically evaluated on the basis of their sensitivity (will this test pick up all those who have the diagnosis?) and specificity (will it pick up the specific diagnosis in question, or a range of diagnoses?). But how do we socially evaluate a screening test? Here are some questions we might ask: - What are the consequences of a false positive? A false negative? - What are the social benefits of screening for this diagnosis? The social harms? - What is the history of this screening test, and whose interests are served by its use? What are some conditions you think we should/shouldn’t screen for and why?
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 23:56:33 +0000
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