Screening
Have we entered a period where people are screening too much for disease - Carl Wiens
HWN Suggests
Have We Entered a Period Where People Are Screening Too Much for Disease?
David Foster: Screening Is Largely About Wishful Thinking
The "I had a slow growing cancer removed that never would have caused me any trouble but was found by a screening test and now I'm impotent and incontinent" lobby is not doing a very good job of getting their message out. Wishful thinking is a powerful force and is shaping much of the interest in screening.
Dr. David Foster was a co-executive producer of Fox's medical drama, "House."
Jeffrey Flier: With New Data, a Consensus Is Building
The use of screening tests to identify unrecognized disease…
Featured
A Medical-Screening Checklist for Older Adults
Unfortunately, many of us probably know more about the tests and shots our pets need than the ones we need.
All Women Should Be Screened For Anxiety Disorders, Health Group Says
The guidelines, issued by the Women's Preventive Services Initiative, advise primary care doctors and other health providers to screen all female patients for anxiety disorders beginning at age 13. The panel of medical experts noted that untreated anxiety can have a wide range of repercussions for women's lives, and screening may lead to earlier and more effective treatment.
We're getting better at screening for cancer, and that could be a problem
Finding out you have cancer is a bell you can’t unring. As doctors increasingly have the tools to find cancers before they actually pose a problem, we’re going to have to start asking ourselves a tough question: is knowing always a good thing? Half of Americans say they'd want to be screened even for a type of cancer they couldn't do anything about. But medical professionals are somewhat divided on just how much we should test people for diseases we're not able to treat.
Articles of Interest
Depression Screening is Long Overdue
Clinical depression is so common, so potentially damaging, and so often undiagnosed that a board coalition of experts now recommends that primary care providers screen everyone over 12 for what is the most common of all mental disorders.
A new study shows why cancer screening can be bad for your health
To avoid being the victim of overdiagnosis, Welch suggests people talk to their doctors about their individual risks before getting screened. The US Preventive Services Task Force, which examines the evidence and makes recommendations about mass cancer-screening programs, is also an excellent resource.
Ovarian Cancer Screenings Are Not Effective, Panel Says
The screenings — blood tests for a substance linked to cancer and ultrasound scans to examine the ovaries — do not lower the death rate from the disease, and they yield many false-positive results that lead to unnecessary operations with high complication rates, the panel said.
Preventive health screenings that are hardly a Life Line
It's one thing to draw blood for a cholesterol test and take someone's blood pressure (which will cost a whole lot less than $149), and quite another to offer these other procedures which are, at the very least, a waste of money and quite possibly harmful.
SAGE: A Simple Window on Cognitive Function
Self-administered online tests are a dime a dozen. But one of the simplest has shown itself an effective tool for showing you something about what's going on with your most complex organ.
The Medical Tests You Should Schedule ASAP, Based On Your Age
Navigating the world of medical tests can be confusing and lead to a lot of questions. What age do you need to start getting mammograms? When should you schedule your first colonoscopy? And do you really need a physical every single year? Since your health depends on getting the proper checkups at the right times, HuffPost talked to some experts to get to the bottom of what health measures you need to take, as well as which tests you need to get and when to get them.
Unnecessary Screenings: 4 Medical Tests You May Not Need
Unfortunately, excessive screening can open the door to unnecessary surgeries and medications — not to mention needless anxiety. Here, four tests to reconsider.
Why Depression Screenings Should Be Part of Routine Check-Ups
New guidelines make mental health a higher priority in primary care.
Why Tracking Health Too Closely Could Actually Work Against You
Some doctors have even suggested that annual physicals might be unnecessary for people who are in good health and who are not experiencing any symptoms of disease, because of the cost and the possibility of false positives.
Your annual checkup could soon include screening for illicit drug use
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends doctors should ask their patients about all the drugs they use.
Resources
Six Inexpensive Health Screenings That Could Save Your Employees' Lives -- And Your Business Some Money
Every employer should make sure these six crucial tests for both men and women are either included in an annual physical or provided à la carte during yearly screening campaigns...
Six Inexpensive Health Screenings That Could Save Your Employees' Lives -- And Your Business Some Money
Every employer should make sure these six crucial tests for both men and women are either included in an annual physical or provided à la carte during yearly screening campaigns...
Life Line Screening
Our preventive health screenings are designed by doctors and administered by trained professionals, screenings can help detect hidden health issues before they become a problem.
