Release Date: May 2014
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) makes
recommendations about the effectiveness of specific clinical preventive
services for patients without related signs or symptoms.
It bases its recommendations on the evidence of both the benefits
and harms of the service and an assessment of the balance. The USPSTF
does not consider the costs of providing a service in this assessment.
The USPSTF recognizes that clinical decisions involve more
considerations than evidence alone. Clinicians should understand the
evidence but individualize decision making to the specific patient or
situation. Similarly, the USPSTF notes that policy and coverage
decisions involve considerations in addition to the evidence of clinical
benefits and harms.
This article was first published in Annals of Internal Medicine (www.annals.org) on 27 May 2014.
Click Here to Read the Recommendations
Click Here to Download Summary PDFLabels: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement for Hepatitis B