Current Status of Health Screening in Korea

한국의 건강검진 현황

Along with a development of medical technology, a variety of tests, such as laboratory tests, x-ray and endoscopies are being used in health screening tests. As the tests determine the quality of health screening, test items and methods should be carefully selected. This study was to get hold of the test items of major health screening programs in Korea Most of the health screening programmes focused upon detection of risk factors and diagnosis of life - style related diseases (diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, hypercholesterolemia, overweight, drinking, smoking, cerebrovascular diseases, osteoporosis) ,cancers (stomach, cervix, lung, breast, liver, colon, prostate, ovary, pancreas, thyroid, esophagus) , infectious diseases (hepatitis, tuberculosis, sexually-transmitted diseases, parasites) , chronic obstructive respiratory diseases, chronic renal diseases (bacteriuria hematuria, proteinuria) , anemia, glaucoma, hearing loss, Alzheimer disease, stress, early psychiatric diseases. The health screening tests were basic physical examination, basic laboratory tests (CBC, urinalysis, liver function tests, lipid tests, glucose, HbAlc, uric acid, electrolytes, serological tests (HBsAg, HBs-Ab, HCV-Ab, HIV-Ab, VDRL) EKG, x-ray (chest PA, CT) , endoscopy (gastroscopy, colonoscopy) , sonography(abdomen, thyroid, pelvis, breast) ,cytology (cervix) , bone density, tumor markets (NMP22, alpha-FP, CEA, CA-19-9, CA12S, PSA) and eye tests. Advanced technologies, like CT, PET, MRI, MRT/Angio, molecular testings) were widely used in hospital health screening programmes .In summary, a variety of tests were utilized in health screening in Korea. Those tests were utilized by stages or according to sex and age in most of health screening programmes, however a few program used tests to excess disregarding health screening subjects.