Authors' objectives: To discuss aspects of the patient perspective by offering general health checks and health discussions in general practice. And to discuss whether the population is interested in being offered general health checks and whether any ethical, psychological or social problems are linked to the introduction. The overall question to be answered is: ''Is it recommendable to introduce, to the population, an offer of general health checks and health discussions with your own GP?''

Authors' recommendations: The answer to the above mentioned question is limited by the patient perspective, which in essential ways, e.g. social and work-related consequences, the consequence of false positive and false negative screening, is not discussed satisfactorily in the existing literature. Based alone on our present knowledge about the patient perspective it is not recommendable to offer the population general health checks and health discussions with their own GP as there are no grounds for an improvement of the participants' emotional well being, self-assessed health or other related parameters after participation. But the decision of offering general health checks and health discussions should not be taken based on the patient perspective alone. It is also important to include organisational, economic, and technological effects in the considerations. If there's convincing evidence that general health checks can reduce morbidity and mortality and you therefore wish to offer general health checks and health discussions, the above mentioned question can be answered in the affirmative, as there are found no grounds for long-lasting poor self-assessed health or poor emotional well-being and other examined related parameters among the participants. Only signs of short momentary psychological side effects among the participants are found. The majority of the participants' emotional wellbeing and self-assessed health did not change due to their participation in the health checks.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2006

URL for published report: http://www.sst.dk/publ/Publ2006/CEMTV/Ebeltoft/ebeltoft_ptpersp.pdf

URL for additional information: http://www.sst.dk/publ/Publ2006/CEMTV/Ebeltoft/ebeltoft_ptpersp_summary.pdf

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Denmark

Organisation Name: Danish Centre for Evaluation and Health Technology Assessment

Contact Address: National Board of Health, PO Box 1881, Islands Brygge 67, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark. Tel: 45 72 22 74 48; Fax: 45 72 22 74 07/67

Contact Name: dacehta@sst.dk

Contact Email: dacehta@sst.dk

Copyright: Danish Centre for Evaluation and Health Technology Assessment (DACEHTA)