Targeted screening in the UK: A narrow concept with broad application

TY - JOUR

T1 - Targeted screening in the UK

T2 - A narrow concept with broad application

AU - Bobrowska, Anna

AU - Murton, Molly

AU - Seedat, Farah

AU - Visintin, Cristina

AU - Mackie, Anne

AU - Steele, Robert

AU - Marshall, John

N1 - Funding Information: This study was sponsored by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). © 2022 The Author(s).

PY - 2022/5

Y1 - 2022/5

N2 - A recent report on screening in the UK proposed that the responsibility for recommendations on population and targeted screening programmes should be held by one new integrated advisory body. There is no wide international consensus on the definition of targeted screening. Our review identified and compared the defining components of screening terms: targeted, population, selective, and cascade screening, and case finding. Definitions of targeted screening and population screening were clearly demarcated by the eligible population; targeted and selective screening were found to be conceptually interchangeable; cascade screening, whilst conceptually similar to targeted screening across several components, was only used within the context of genetic diseases. There was little consensus between different definitions of case finding. These comparisons contributed to an updated definition of targeted screening. Considerable overlap between definition components across terms implies that a broad range of disease areas may fall into the remit of the new advisory body.

AB - A recent report on screening in the UK proposed that the responsibility for recommendations on population and targeted screening programmes should be held by one new integrated advisory body. There is no wide international consensus on the definition of targeted screening. Our review identified and compared the defining components of screening terms: targeted, population, selective, and cascade screening, and case finding. Definitions of targeted screening and population screening were clearly demarcated by the eligible population; targeted and selective screening were found to be conceptually interchangeable; cascade screening, whilst conceptually similar to targeted screening across several components, was only used within the context of genetic diseases. There was little consensus between different definitions of case finding. These comparisons contributed to an updated definition of targeted screening. Considerable overlap between definition components across terms implies that a broad range of disease areas may fall into the remit of the new advisory body.

KW - Cascade screening

KW - Case finding

KW - Population screening

KW - Screening

KW - Selective screening

KW - Targeted screening

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85128318121

U2 - 10.1016/j.lanepe.2022.100353

DO - 10.1016/j.lanepe.2022.100353

M3 - Review article

C2 - 35492962

SN - 2666-7762

VL - 16

JO - The Lancet Regional Health - Europe

JF - The Lancet Regional Health - Europe

M1 - 100353

ER -