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[Ethical and psychological aspects of screening tests for children]
1Institut for Almen medicin, Arhus Universitet.
Insights
Screening programs require careful ethical and psychological evaluation before implementation, especially for children. Assessing potential impacts on families and determining optimal screening ages are crucial for minimizing harm and maximizing benefits.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Child Psychology
- Public Health Screening
Abstract:
The increase in the incidence of screening procedures has been accompanied by increased awareness of the ethical and psychological problems involved, particularly in conjunction with the detection of diseases in children. Before a screening programme is launched, the ethical and psychological consequences for children and their families should be evaluated, as well as what supportive measures may be necessary to minimize the psychological effects of positive and false-positive test results. Moreover, it should be carefully determined which age is the most appropriate for screening with a view to the possibility of initiating prophylactic treatment and minimizing the adverse effects of stigmatization.