Are Routine Health Examinations Fulfilling their Promise for Prevention?

Objective: Routine health check-ups of school age children are common; however there is little critical review across settings. We describe these practices in high- and low- and middle- income countries and provide a critical analysis. Methods: The literature in 6 databases as well as other sources were reviewed systematically. Results: We identified 240 sources describing screening practices in 86 countries. Among these countries, at least 65 have systems for routine screenings, and at least 47 have systems for routine health reviews that include but are not limited to screenings. Good practices in conducting screenings are rarely reported. Conclusions: We propose improvements to screening practices including shifting from screening activity to a health visit, among others.