Four basic criteria are important when determining which diseases are amenable to detection and treatment by screening: 1) the diagnostic test used must be highly sensitive, 2) the disease should cause substantial morbidity or mortality, 3) early detection and treatment should eliminate the disease or prevent its progression, 4) the incidence of the disease should be high enough to warrant the utilization of time, resources, and money. A review of three large screening studies evaluating the detection and treatment of scoliosis revealed problems in meeting these four criteria. Given the current level of disease and response to therapy, there is little justification at present for routine screening for scoliosis in the school system.
在确定哪些疾病适合通过筛查进行检测和治疗时，有四个基本标准很重要：1）所使用的诊断测试必须具有高度敏感性；2）该疾病应导致相当程度的发病率或死亡率；3）早期检测和治疗应消除疾病或防止其进展；4）该疾病的发病率应足够高，以保证投入时间、资源和资金的合理性。一项对三项评估脊柱侧弯检测与治疗的大型筛查研究的综述显示，在满足这四个标准方面存在问题。鉴于目前的疾病水平和对治疗的反应，目前几乎没有理由在学校系统中对脊柱侧弯进行常规筛查。
