Screening in the Northern Territory

In recent years screening guidelines have been developed for children and adults in the NT based on the WHO screening criteria.

See resource list at the end of this section

Screening activities which are already established or are being developed as part of routine primary health care include:

• routine screening tests of antenatal women
• screening of babies soon after birth with a Guthrie test
• growth monitoring for children
• school-age screening
• screening for cervical cancer and STDs as part of well women's checks
• screening for chronic disease risk factors such as high blood pressure and smoking

These activities may be done opportunistically, or as part of a recall system, or dur-ing 'Health Weeks'.

Consent

Some forms of screening are a regular part of a comprehensive Primary Health Care (PHC) service, for example, ante-natal checks and growth monitoring of babies and young children.

Screening activities which are not part of the day-to-day PHC service require formal consent.

It is important that individuals and community councils understand why screening is being offered so they can give their informed consent and can say 'no' to screening if they do not want to take part.

Screening for research purposes requires ethics committee approval.

See the chapter 'Planning and Evaluating a Health Promotion Project'

Screening resources

Growth Assessment and Action - Guidelines and Strategic Plan, 1998-2003

THS guidelines for:

• measuring weight, height and haemoglobin in children
• making action plans for children with growth faltering
• feedback on nutritional status to communities and districts

Available from GAA Coordinator (Top End 8922 7753 and Central Australia 8951 7820).

Healthy School-Age Kids: The NT School-Age Child Health Surveillance Program Manual for Remote Communities (1998)

This THS Manual is for health and education professionals who work in remote areas. The Manual contains:

• revised screening and surveillance schedule for school-age children
• guidelines for planning and conducting school-age checks
• guidelines for referral to other services
• key areas for health promotion

Available from Remote Area Community Child Health (Top End 8922 8821 and Central Australia 8951 7654) or Senior Policy Officer, Maternal and Child Health 8922 8015.

Central Australian Rural Practitioners Association (CARPA), Health Screening in Central Australia, August 1997, CARPA, Alice Springs.

These Guidelines include:

• definitions, basic principles and criteria for screening
• advice about how to screen - logistics
• screening children and adults
• screening for sexually transmitted diseases
• screening for trachoma

Available from CARPA PO Box 8143, Alice Springs, NT 0871
E-mail: carpastm@taunet.net.au

THS Remote Area, Well Men's and Well Women's Screening Guidelines (Nov, 1998)

This THS manual has been written for use by AHWs, community health nurses, doctors and other health staff who provide screening services in the Top End. It offers advice on how to provide screening and what clinical action to take after screening.

Available from the Preventable Chronic Diseases Strategy Project Officer, Darwin Rural Services 8922 8637, 8922 8220.