Screening and Test Evaluation Program (STEP)

该项目由一个拥有公共卫生、临床流行病学、生物统计学、卫生经济学和行为科学技能的成熟团队管理，旨在解决是否、何时以及如何使用医学测试等尚未得到充分研究的问题。该计划的要素遵循通常进行测试的顺序：筛查（早期发现），诊断（作为治疗决策的基础），以及监测治疗效果。一种常见的方法是确定测试的利弊并评估其权衡；如何权衡利弊。这项研究与卫生保健领域的所有合作伙伴（消费者、临床医生和决策者）有关，他们目前正在接受检测或使用检测，但没有充分了解这些检测的准确性和效果。

This program, run by an established team with skills in public health, clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, health economics and behavioural science addresses the under-researched issues of whether, when and how to use medical tests. The elements of the program follow the sequence in which testing is often done: for screening (early detection), for diagnosis on which to base treatment decisions, and for monitoring the effects of treatment. A common approach throughout is the identification of the benefits and harms of testing and assessing their trade-off; how benefits weigh up against harms. This research is relevant to all partners in healthcare, (consumers, clinicians and policy-makers), who currently are being tested or using tests without being fully informed about the accuracy and effects of these tests.