Screening

Synonyms

Early detection

Definition

Screening refers to the process of surveying a population or sample of a population, in the attempt to identify people at risk for or with a given health condition. Screening is a crucial part of epidemiology, as it informs about the prevalence and risk factors of various health conditions in a population. Furthermore, screening is crucial for preventive medicine, since it enables to identify people who may benefit from primary, secondary, or tertiary interventions. Screening for primary prevention reflects identifying people without a risk factor (e.g., hypertension, depression), to prevent the risk factor and subsequent illnesses. Screening for secondary prevention could be among people with a risk factor, to prevent an illness. And screening for tertiary prevention would be done to prevent relapse or mortality in people already ill (e.g., after a first myocardial infarction). Screening could be in relation to psychosocial factors such as hostility...