Screening for condition recommended when -
Criteria for screening

The criteria for screening are based on two consideration.


Disease to be screened
Screening test to be applied

Disease to be screened

The disease to be screened should fulfill the following criteria before it is considered suitable for screening.


The condition sougth should be an important health problem (in general, prevalence should be high).
There should be a recognizable latent or early asymptomatic stage.
The natural history of the condition, including development from latent to declared disease, should be adequately understood (so that we can know at what stage the process ceases to be reversible).
There is a test that can detect the disease prior to the onset of signs and symptoms.
facilities should be available for confirmation of the diagnosis.
There is an effective treatment.
There should be an agreed-on policy concerning whom to treat as patients (e.g., lower ranges of blood pressure; border-line diabetes).
There is good evidence that early detection and treatment reduces morbidity and mortality.
The expected benefits (e.g., the number of lives saved) of early detection exceed the risks and costs.