Community Medicine (PSM) · Screening of Diseases and Health Concepts

An antenatal clinic screens every registered pregnant woman for syphilis using a rapid treponemal test, while women outside pregnancy are not screened. This approach, restricting screening to a defined subgroup at higher risk rather than the entire population, is termed:

  • A Mass screening
  • B Selective (targeted) screening
  • C Multiphasic screening
  • D Opportunistic screening
Correct answer: B. Selective (targeted) screening

Explanation

Selective or targeted screening applies the test to a defined high-risk subgroup such as pregnant women, contacts of known cases, or a specific age band, improving yield and predictive values compared with mass screening of everyone. Mass screening covers the whole population, multiphasic screening means applying several tests simultaneously on one occasion to one person, and opportunistic screening means testing patients who attend health facilities for unrelated complaints.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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