Verlies de nadelen van screening niet uit het oog

Concerns on proposed amendments of the Dutch Population Screening Act

There are more and more possibilities to screen individuals early for health problems or risks thereof. When it comes to screening, it is tempting to think: the sooner a disease (risk) is detected, the better. But screening also has disadvantages, such as distress and fear among participants and the need for further diagnostics in the event of a positive result, with all the related medical risks and burden on the health care system. In short, screening is only useful if the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. In this article we discuss – by means of examples – ethical considerations relevant for weighing the benefits and disadvantages of screening. In closing we reflect on future legislation pertaining to screening that – in our opinion – leaves too much leeway for screening of which the disadvantages outweigh the benefits.

Conflict of interest and financial support: ICMJE forms provided by the authors are available online along with the full text of this article.