[Evaluation of screening programs].
This paper discusses the specific aspects involved in the assessment of screening programmes, compared to the assessment of other types of public health interventions. Screening programmes are aimed at healthy asymptomatic individuals, who, in case of a positive test, will be exposed to subsequent investigations or treatments. This paper stresses upon the several aspects to be taken into consideration when assessing the potential benefits and hazards of a screening programme, especially in order to limit hazards linked to false positive results: predictive value of the test according to its diagnostic value and the disease prevalence, existence of effective "treatments" in case of positive test. It underlines the need for adequate methods to evaluate positive and negative health effects, and psychological and social consequences.
Kaminski
M
M
INSERM Unité 149, Recherche Epidémiologique sur la Mère et l'Enfant, Villejuif.
Blondel
B
B
D001007:Anxiety; D015982:Bias; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
Evaluation des programmes de dépistage.