- In This Article
- Overview
- Skip these tests
- Get the most from these tests
- Checkup checklist
Screening tests you can live without
And a list of those that can save your life
Three overlooked tests
Parts of a physical exam that many people need but are sometimes overlooked include:
- Using an ophthalmoscope to check the blood vessels and optic nerve in the back of the eyes.
- Checking pulses in the wrist, neck, groin, and feet.
- Using a stethoscope to listen for noises in the arteries of the neck and abdomen that can indicate blood-flow restrictions.
Many Americans—and their doctors—seem to think that better health means more health care, including as many screening tests as possible. But many researchers are now questioning that notion, saying that some common screening tests are unproven and can not only waste your time and money but also cause more harm than good.
Instead, you should focus on tests proven to work. "When you reach into the life of someone who isn't sick and potentially trigger anxiety, further testing, and even invasive treatments, you better have a good idea that the test is effective and safe," says Mark Helfand, M.D., director of the Evidence-based Practice Center at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
To help identify preventive practices that work, the government-sponsored U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reviews the evidence for and against screening tests and counseling recommendations. In Skip These Tests we discuss those that the Task Force has given a D rating, meaning that they failed the group's test. (The table lists those that Consumer Reports thinks most people should get, based on recommendations from various public-health organizations and our medical consultants.)
This article first appeared in the January 2009 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
