What happens if you screen but don't intervene?

• A. It can improve patient satisfaction.
• B. It has no effect.
• C. It can worsen patient frustration and outcomes.
• D. It reduces healthcare costs.

Answer: (C)

Screening is valuable only when there’s a plan to act on what you find. If you screen someone but don’t intervene, results can cause emotional distress—patients may feel anxious, frustrated, or uncertain about what to do next—without any path to relief or improvement. That absence of a concrete follow-up can allow a condition to progress or miss an opportunity for early management, which can worsen health outcomes. Patients also tend to trust care less when screening raises questions but offers no next steps, lowering satisfaction with the encounter. Plus, the lack of intervention after screening can lead to unnecessary tests or follow-up care later, increasing overall costs rather than saving them. In short, screening without a plan to intervene can heighten frustration and potentially worsen health outcomes.