Over the past 50 years, with the advent of safe and highly effective vaccines which have prevented or mitigated most common childhood contagious illnesses, physicians and health care policy experts have advocated preventative health measures to protect the public from preventable outbreaks of diseases such as polio. Over the past 25 years physicians, physician organizations, and lobbying organizations, such as the American Cancer Society, have advocated health care screening to identify diseases at early and more curable stages.

In this course we shall evaluate preventative and screening recommendations that get an “A” or “B” grade because of overwhelming scientific evidence of efficacy; those recommendations that get a “C” because evidence is equivocal; and those recommendations that get a “D” or worse because evidence is anecdotal, totally lacking or fueled by internet conspiracy. We shall also explore the roles of accreditation bodies. Finally, we shall explore how the new administration has impacted prevention and screening recommendations. The course will feature lectures and class discussions.