Some Public Health Screenings May Harm More Than Help

The tests can potentially do more harm than good, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel that recommends evidence-based treatments. Even though the screening tests are generally noninvasive, follow-up exams and procedures often are not, and can increase a person's odds of being injured or overtreated.

One of those questionable tests is carotid artery screening, which looks for plaque buildup in a neck artery that can cause a stroke. It's on the American Academy of Family Physicians' list of procedures to avoid.

With that test, "the patient is more likely actually to have a stroke because of the screening and subsequent testing and possible surgery than if they'd never been screened at all," says Dr. Glen Stream, who chairs the academy's board.

The problem, he says, is that many of the findings are false positives — in other words, things that may be abnormal but won't ever hurt you. But once you find something, he says, it's hard not to aggressively treat it, even when that's not the right approach.

Read the full story by Jenny Gold of Kaiser Health News at NPR SHOTS Health News