ARE SCREENINGS ALWAYS RIGHT?

Introduction and objective Screening aims to diagnose subclinical diseases (before there are symptoms and signs) and reduce mortality and morbidity. However, we need to be aware. Screening tests have false positives and negatives, and while the number of diagnosis and interventions rise, mortality doesn’t always reduce. Do we always tell that to our patients? Do all doctors know this fact? Do we know the probability of having a wrong diagnosis and its consequences? Do other responsible entities in medical management and communication, such as politicians and journalists, know this fact? Being aware requires knowledge of some basic medical statistics and how to communicate those to our patients, before and after having the screenings done. Method The authors review most common medical screenings and report the probability of having a wrong diagnosis for each and its consequences. Result and Conclusions Knowing the probability of having a wrong diagnosis after a screening test, as well as other statistical data implied in screening, along with good doctor-patient communication skills, doesn’t prevent wrong diagnosis, but prevents many of its consequences when shared decision exists.