Screening : between hope and hype

Screening (or population screening) involves the medical examination of individuals who exhibit no health problems with the aim of detecting disease, or an hereditary predisposition to disease, or risk factors that can increase the risk of disease. The government has great expectations of screening, as do caregivers, private individuals, and other groups within the healthcare sector. Developments appear to be moving fast: new forms of screening are either being brought on line within the healthcare sector or are being marketed by commercial organisations.