Table 1.

Does consumer-led screening for AF fulfil the WHO principles of early disease detection?²²

	Principle	Consumer-led screening for AF*
1	The condition sought should be an important health problem.	+
2	There should be an accepted treatment for patients with recognised disease.	(+)
3	Facilities for diagnosis and treatment should be available.	−
4	There should be a recognisable latent to early symptomatic stage.	+
5	There should be a suitable test or examination.	(+)
6	The test should be acceptable to the population.	(+)
7	The natural history of the condition, including development from latent to declared disease, should be adequately understood.	(+)
8	There should be an agreed policy on whom to treat as patients.	(+)
9	The cost of case finding (including diagnosis and treatment of patients diagnosed) should be economically balanced in relation to possible expenditure on medical care as a whole.	−
10	Case finding should be a continuing process and not a “once and for all” project.	(+)

+ = does fulfil; (+) = does partly fulfil; - = does not fulfil

^*Principles 1,2, and 8 could be classified as negative (does not fulfil) for individuals at low risk of stroke.