Casting the screening net: separating big fish from little fish

Screening tests are a rapidly growing part of medical practice. If we are going to make the best use of resources, screening tests need to be considered in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and equity. We present a framework as a way to think about screening programmes. The framework expands on existing literature that recognizes two categories of screening: universal and opportunistic. By adding the dimension of 'selectivity', we identify …