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Feasibility of population based screening in Ireland
B O'Herlihy1, C Hayes, M Hynes
1Eastern Health Board, Public Health Division, Dr. Steevens' Hospital, Dublin.
Irish Journal of Medical Science
|June 25, 1998
Summary
Establishing a dedicated breast cancer screening register, crucial for high participation, captured 86.3% of the target population. This highlights the need for a population register in Ireland for effective screening programs.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Cancer Screening
- Health Informatics
Background:
- Computerized call/recall registers are vital for screening program success.
- Population registers are essential for achieving high uptake in targeted populations.
- The European Campaign against Cancer, Localisation, Evaluation & Screening (ECCLES) project lacked a population register.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a specialized register for the ECCLES Breast Screening Project.
- To assess the feasibility and coverage of a custom-built population register for cancer screening.
Main Methods:
- Integrated data from General Medical Services databases (Eastern and North Eastern Health Boards).
- Utilized Voluntary Health Insurance data.
- Incorporated self-registration with the screening project.
Main Results:
- The developed register successfully captured 86.3% of the target population.
- Demonstrated a viable method for creating a screening register in the absence of a national one.
Conclusions:
- A dedicated register can effectively identify and enroll target populations for screening.
- The findings support a timely debate on establishing a national population register in Ireland for public health initiatives.