Comprehensive health screening in elementary schools: an outcome evaluation

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatric Health
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• School health screenings aim to identify student health issues.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of these programs is crucial for resource allocation.
• Previous screenings have faced challenges with follow-up and accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the outcomes of a piloted school health screening program in Texas.
• To assess the effectiveness of health screenings based on referral completion and identified conditions.
• To determine the value of identifying educationally significant problems in students.

Main Methods:

• Program evaluation using data from 1977-1979.
• Analysis of completed referrals and conditions confirmed by healthcare providers.
• Identification of problems with potential educational significance.

Main Results:

• Several health problems were detected among students.
• A high rate of false positives was reported.
• Low referral completion rates from community healthcare providers were observed.

Conclusions:

• The effectiveness of comprehensive school health screenings is questionable due to false positives and poor referral completion.
• Screenings may be valuable for identifying educationally significant issues.
• Effective referral follow-up is essential to justify screening expenditures.