Screening protocols for diseases in women: a review of screening principles and examination of practices.

Screening for disease prior to the manifestation of clinical symptoms is a secondary method of disease prevention. Its use in clinical laboratory testing is based on disease prevalence, etiology, and physiology and on characteristics of the screening tests, including sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. An overview of the principles of screening is presented. Analytic evaluation methods, such as cost-effectiveness analysis, use data relevant to screening programs to examine new protocols. Results of studies reported in the literature are included in the discussion of screening with clinical laboratory tests for three diseases affecting women. Development of effective and appropriate screening protocols for specific diseases incorporate scientific data from randomized controlled trials and economic analytical evaluation methods in conjunction with societal perspectives and desires.