In: Anatomy and Physiology
3. Which of the following is not a possible outcome measure that could be used as an indicator of the benefit of screwning programs aimed at early detection of disease? (answer all that apply)
a. Reduction of case-fatality rate in screened individuals
b. Reduction of mortality in the population screened
c. Reduction of incidence in the population screened
d. Reduction of complications
e. Improvement in the quality of life in screened individuals
Answer - Option C
Reduction of incidence in the population screened is not a possible outcome measure that could be used as an indicator of the benefit of screwning programs. This is because screening tests are used to detect the undiagnosed cases. When more individuals are screened, more number of cases will be diagnosed. This is increase the incidence as incidence is the number of new cases in a given population during a particular time period.
The following options are included as outcome measures.
a. Reduction of case-fatality rate in screened individuals - if the disease is detected at an early stage, it might be curable. This would reduce the case fatality rate. Eg. Many cancers are treatable if they are diagnosed early.
b. Reduction of mortality in the population screened - Screening tests help in diagnosing a disease at an early stage. Early initiation of treatment will pevent complications and reduce mortality.
d. Reduction of complications - The reasoning given for option b applies here too.
e. Improvement in the quality of life in screened individuals - As stated above, early diagnosis and initiation of treatment will change the course of the disease. This may improve the quality of life of the screened individual. For eg, when elderly people are screened for cataract, the screened individuals can be prescribed corrective glasses or referred for surgery. This will improve their vision and have a positive impact on their quality of life.