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Identify important principles of a screening test

Learner Task: List the important principles of a screening test.
 
Educator Checklist: Principles of a Screening Test
Mark the appropriate column to indicate whether the learner included each element in his or her response. When completed, tally the “Included” column to calculate the learner’s score.
 

Included =1 Not Included =0
The condition should be an important health problem
There should be a recognizable latent or early symptomatic stage
The natural history of the condition, including development from latent to declared disease, should be adequately understood
There should be an accepted treatment for patients with recognized disease
There should be a suitable test or examination that has a high level of accuracy
The test should be acceptable to the population
Facilities for diagnosis and treatment should be available
The cost of screening (including diagnosis and treatment of patients diagnosed) should be economically balanced in relation to possible expenditure on medical care as a whole, and screening should be a continuing process and not a ‘once and for all’ project
There should be an agreed policy on whom to treat as patients

Source:  Principles and Practices of Screening for Disease. World Health Organization.