Objective

To gain insight into the disciplinary verdicts on screening and preventive diagnostics and their contribution to the professional standard.

Design

Descriptive research, analysis of disciplinary proceedings.

Method

Two Dutch electronic databases containing disciplinary proceedings were searched using 18 search terms for disciplinary court rulings on screening and preventive diagnostics. Two researchers independently examined which of the 213 decisions retrieved actually concerned screening and preventive diagnostics. The selected verdicts were subsequently categorised according to type of prevention and type of screening, followed by a content analysis.

Results

28 out of 213 cases concerned screening or preventive diagnostics. 12 cases related to universal prevention, 12 to indicated prevention, 2 to health-related prevention and 2 cases concerned preventive screening at the request of the patient. Of the 12 universal prevention cases, 6 concerned breast cancer screening and 4 involved cervical cancer screening. Initially, the disciplinary courts applied the same criteria for these proceedings as for curative care. In 3 cases concerning breast cancer screening, the courts ruled that the screening participants should have been better informed. The women should be made aware that breast cancer cannot be ruled out even if no abnormalities are found.

Conclusion

There are few disciplinary verdicts about screening and preventive diagnostics. In these cases, the courts initially used the same standards as in cases concerning curative care. Through their statements about the duty to provide information to screening subjects, the courts have contributed to the professional standard for universal prevention.