[PDF] Contributions extérieures - Décision n° 2022-835 DC du 21 janvier

How does a screening test work?

• It operates like a sieve (Fig. 1), separating the people who probably do have the condition from those who probably do not. screening test is never 100% accurate; it does not provide certainty but only a probability that a person is at risk (or risk-free) from the condition of interest. Fig. 1. Screening as a sieve

When should a patient be screened for a full assessment?

• Note: Screening is not a full assessment; refer patients for a full assessment if a problem is indicated by the screen or through discussion with the patient. Apply existing office procedures to screening practices, including patient documentation, consent procedures, confidentiality and HIPAA procedures, storage of records, and patient flow.

What are the measures of screening test performance?

• Measurements of screening test performance indicate how good the test is at distinguishing the people who do have the condition (true positives) from those that do not have the condition (true negatives). Measures of test performance (Fig. 5) are: sensitivity: the ability of the screening test to identify people with the condition as positive; and

What is a screening evaluation?

• Evaluation is a periodic review of how the screening programme is working in light of new evidence or changes to the population to check that it continues to be effective and cost-effective. Table 2 provides examples of the kind of reasons that might prompt such an evaluation. Measuring the performance of existing screening programmes is complex.