title: A reader's guide to the evaluation of screening studies.
abstract: In this article we will review how a reader should evaluate a screening study. A clinical problem involving screening mammography is presented. We then outline criteria to determine whether screening is appropriate for a given condition. A search for relevant articles is described followed by an outline of the steps used to appraise a screening study critically. An applicable study is examined in detail for such things as the quality of randomisation and outcomes measured. The results of this study are then applied to a patient considered for screening.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Earle
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hebert
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008403:Mass Screening; D011315:Preventive Medicine; D011897:Random Allocation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016312:Treatment Refusal