Annual report on screening for disease 2007 - The self-testing of body samples

The market for so-called medical self-tests is expanding. An increasing number of products and services have become available which enable people to test or have tests done on their blood, urine, faeces or saliva to detect the presence of specific markers. The manufacturers claim that this will enable users to detect the presence of a disease or an increased risk of disease, and that this early detection will be beneficial to their health.
The question is whether this is true. This 2007 Annual Report on Population Screening focuses on the value of self-testing of body samples. Using the available research in this subject area, we have investigated the extent to which self-tests actually live up to their claim of high test accuracy and providing a health benefit through early detection. To this end, we have examined 20 self-tests which, as a group, provide a good overview of what is currently on offer.

Committee

• J.A. Knottnerus, President of the Health Council, The Hague, chairman
• J.H. Dekker, General Practitioner, University Medical Centre Groningen
• S.W.J. Lamberts, Professor of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam
• Y. van der Graaf, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Utrecht
• W.P.Th.M. Mali, Professor of Radiology, University Medical Centre Utrecht
• J.L. Severens, Professor of Medical Technology Assessment, University of Maastricht
• A.L.M. Verbeek, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, University Medical Centre St Radboud Nijmegen
• W.A. van Veen, MD, Gezondheidsraad, The Hague, secretary
• C.J. van de Klippe, Doctor of Law, Gezondheidsraad, The Hague, secretary