SBA — Single Best Answer · Review
Question 691
Statistics → Epidemiology
Classification
Question
SSBAQuestion Header
Statistics
Question Stem
Which feature is most appropriate for a disease considered for a population screening programme?
Options
A
Its natural history should be poorly understood
B
Treatment should be withheld until symptoms develop
C
The screening test should be acceptable to the population
D
The disease should invariably be rare
E
Diagnosis during a latent phase should provide no benefit
Explanation
A screening programme requires an acceptable test and a condition for which detection before clinical presentation is worthwhile. Screening involves as the application of a test to apparently healthy individuals to identify those at increased likelihood of disease and describes characteristics required for an effective screening programme.
Option Validity
A) Understanding the natural history of the condition is important for screening.
B) Screening is useful when earlier detection can lead to appropriate intervention.
D) Rarity is not a defining requirement for a screening programme.
E) Screening is intended to provide benefit through detection before usual clinical presentation.
Further Reading
Saxena - MRCOG-1 Basic Sciences, Chapter 10: Epidemiology/Statistics, Printed p.288.