Why Do People Choose Not to Have Screening for Hemochromatosis?

Abstract

The nonattender data presented here indicate that concerns about insurance, anxiety, and use of genetic information are not major factors for why people did not attend workplace information and screening sessions for hereditary hemochromatosis. Practical barriers were the major reasons identified. This highlights that when implementing screening programs, as many practical barriers as possible need to be overcome, so that a maximum number of people who would like to be informed about screening are given the opportunity to do so.

Diagnosis and treatment of hereditary hemochromatosis: an update

“…However recent studies have shown that there are minimal psychological effects of screening [146][147][148][149]. Additionally, studies outside the United States where insurance and health care access and coverage are less of a concern have suggested that practical reasons such as lack of awareness and access to screening programs are the major reasons for non-participation in screening programs [150]. We believe that screening persons of Northern European descent may be useful; with phenotypic screening with TS preferred over HFE genotyping although TS screening does have limitations due to the performance characteristics of this test [64,151].…”