Is there value to a screening if there is no effective treatment available?

humza I was taught no in med school. But in conversations with patients and personal experience, there’s value in knowing what condition you have even if there’s nothing to do about it. It gives you a name and a place to start. Plus new treatments are created all the time.

Joya “Racism Is A Public Health Crisis” Ahmad humza I’m wondering if the difference here is semantics: the SCREENING that is not recommended without a treatment is for testing of an ASYMPTOMATIC population. Testing for untreatable conditions in symptomatic pts is an area where shared decision-making is super important.

@UmoyeAlexis Doc humza Definitely agree with the distinction! I think the only exception I’m thinking about is screening for genetic (and perhaps untreatable) diseases in an asymptomatic patient w family history. Def not a population-level decision and much more nuanced/individual.