Screening in primary health care: setting priorities with limited resources / Screening in primary health care: setting priorities with limited resources

Health screening aims to detect diseases and other health problems before they become symptomatic, so that appropriate interventions can be instigated early. The rationale is that such early treatment is more effective and cheaper, with consequent advantages for both the patients and the health services. However, screening itself consumes resources, and health care policy-makers everywhere frequently have to make decisions on whether, when and how to introduce screening activities into routine health services. In this context, developing countries in particular are faced with difficult choices when attempting to make best use of limited resources

This publication examines how health screening fits into a service based on primary health care, which aims to use resources in the most equitable, efficient and effective way. It recommends criteria to guide decision-makers on whether or not to use screening as part of an approach to the prevention of a given health problem, and outlines principles to be applied in the planning and implementation of services using screenig. Examples of the potential uses of screening are presented to illustrate the application of the recommended approach and to suggest options for consideration