Comprehensive outpatient health assessment: a case-finding tool in 500 consecutive asymptomatic individuals

This study appraises the case-finding efficiency of a single-day outpatient program of a broad-based clinical evaluation and laboratory studies in asymptomatic adults. The same protocol, varied only according to age and sex, was used for 500 individuals encountered consecutively over 15 months, and an unanticipated new diagnosis or important clinical or laboratory finding was established for one-third of them. The diagnoses varied widely, consistent with the breadth of the observations, and most led to specific recommendations for care. These findings confirm the case-finding efficacy of comprehensive clinical assessments supported by basic laboratory studies and counter the notion that specific tests and/or portions of the review of systems and physical examination can be eliminated in establishing a reliable medical database for asymptomatic adults. In addition, such comprehensive data provide essential reference material for later comparisons.