What is the difference between a screening and a diagnostic study I would receive at a doctor’s office?
A screen is for the purpose of identifying potentially significant findings so that the individual participant may then take those findings to their physician. The physician then determines if additional diagnostic studies are necessary to quantify the extent of the disease. Screens identify and diagnostic studies quantify. The advantage of a screen, as opposed to a diagnostic study, is that it is inexpensive, readily available, and reliable. No screening study is 100% accurate, whether you are talking about cardiovascular screens, PAP smears, mammograms, etc. They do, however, provide valuable information that could very well be life-saving.
