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Previous Volume 330:1589-1595 June 2, 1994 Number 22 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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We have set a high standard of evidence for the evaluation of preventive services to be widely used. Cost is one reason. Since everyone is a candidate for preventive services, the aggregate cost is high. Professional ethics is another reason. By seeking out a physician, a sick patient initiates an episode of care. The physician's responsibility is to help, not to guarantee a good outcome. The obligation is more stringent when a physician makes a recommendation to a healthy person: the physician must be sure that the benefits exceed the harm (primum non nocere). For example, screening for a disease . . . [Full Text of this Article]

History and Physical Examination

Disease Prevention in Low-Risk Patients

Blood-Pressure Measurement

Breast Examination by a Physician

Serum Cholesterol

Mammography

Cervical Cytologic Screening

Vaccination

Counseling

Current Controversies

Screening for Breast Cancer

Screening for Colon Cancer

Screening for Prostate Cancer

Screening for Hypercholesterolemia

Hormone Replacement

Conclusions

Source Information

The author is a member of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and has served on the Clinical Efficacy Assessment Subcommittee of the American College of Physicians. This article represents the author's views and not the views of these organizations.

From the Department of Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756, where reprint requests should be addressed to Dr. Sox.

References

Related Letters:

Preventive Health Services
Catalona W. J., Bialor B. D., Wachtel T. J., Fagan M. J., Atkins C. D., Cappuccio J., Phatak P., Sox H. C.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1994; 331:1156-1158, Oct 27, 1994. Correspondence

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