Screening Programs Steering Group

The tasks of the Steering Group include:

• Evaluating the effectiveness of all ongoing screening programs;
• Approving proposals for methodological changes and adjustments to target groups in ongoing screenings;
• Providing guidelines for initiating new national screening programs and activities that support the development of a sustainable screening program. If necessary, the Steering Group has the authority to commission feasibility analyses, pilot studies, or health technology assessments for these new programs;
• Formulating Estonia’s sectoral positions for international organizations as needed.

Members of the Steering Group base their work on principles of evidence-based practice and good governance, avoiding conflicts of interest, and grounding their decisions in:

• The objectives set out in the Public Health Development Plan and the Estonian Cancer Control Plan,
• Conclusions from health technology assessments,
• The results of feasibility and pilot studies, and
• The readiness of the healthcare community.

The criteria set by the World Health Organization for initiating population-based screening programs include:

• The condition being a significant public health concern;
• The presence of a detectable preclinical or early symptomatic phase of the disease;
• A clear understanding of the natural history of the disease, including its progression from latent to symptomatic stages;
• The screening tests should be acceptable to the target population;
• An effective treatment should be available for patients diagnosed through screening;
• The benefits of screening must outweigh any potential physical or psychological harms;
• The effectiveness of the screening program must be supported by high-quality scientific evidence;
• The costs of detecting the disease (including diagnosis and treatment of diagnosed patients) should be justified relative to overall healthcare expenditure;
• The healthcare system must have the capacity to manage the additional clinical workload generated by screening;
• The screening program must be sustainable and integrated into the existing healthcare system, rather than being a temporary or short-term initiative.