National Screening Program for the Transitional Ages in Korea

A nationwide screening program promotes the level of public health by reducing the mortality and/or incidence rate of target diseases. In 1988, Korea launched the National Screening Program which targeted chronic disorders such as hypertension and diabetes. However, the national screening program that has been carried out for the past 20years has been evaluated and interpreted as not so successful. To promote the program, the Department of Health and Welfare of Korea decided to carry out a new national screening program called, 'Screening Program for Transitional Ages' for two target groups of age 40 and age 66. What is innovative about the Program is that it provides a systematic follow-up of high risk groups and disease groups who were detected by the Program. The new program provides an estimated risk of major diseases(HRA) for each participant. The Doctors involved in the program is expected to provide health education for life-style change to the participants through an evaluation on smoking, drinking, nutrition, exercise. The Program screens the mental health of the participants which has not been included previously as well as featuring a tailored examination for the groups of age 66. Follow-up for the positives and the high risk group detected by the New National Screening Program is one of the main issue of the program and this was discussed more in detail. With such renovations, the 'Screening Program for Transitional Ages' is now making a revolutionary contribution and promote the national screening program to the more advanced level. The new program is expected to improve the level of satisfaction of the participants, thereby increasing the overall screening rate. Launching the new program can be interpreted as an epoch-making decision in the history of Korean national screening programs.