Different instruments, which are frequently formal documents, are available that stakeholders involved in the population screening use to specify and regulate requirements, tasks, and responsibilities.
The Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport, the Centre for Population Screening, the screening organisations and the professionals play a role in the guidelines used.
The Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport issues a Dutch Population Screening Act permit . The Dutch Population Screening Act permit has requirements that are needed to protect the participating people from any risks of the population screening. These requirements bear upon the test method, the target group, the screening interval, as well as measures needed to guarantee the quality of the population screening.
The Centre for Population Screening specifies the national quality requirements, indicator set and the frameworks (for example, the information framework) of the population screening. The development of the national requirements and the indicator set is a result of close coordination among the relevant chain stakeholders. The quality requirements are described in a policy and requirements framework (available in September on http://www.rivm.nl/Onderwerpen/B/Bevolkingsonderzoek_baarmoederhalskanker_voor_professionals/Documenten_en_downloads).
The screening organisations have contracts with the screening laboratories. General conditions are in effect with the GPs. These contracts and general conditions comprise the specified agreements regarding the national quality requirements and applicable guidelines. The tasks and responsibilities are also described. This also applies to the desired quality assurance, expertise, data specification, and data exchange. The screening organisations can use the protocol manuals and procedures to provide practical instructions on the implementation aspects in accordance with the national quality requirements.
The Dutch College of General Practitioners (NHG), the Dutch Pathology Association (NVVP), and the Dutch Society for Medical Microbiology (NVMM) develop and maintain guidelines in which the professional, standard and accountable care for their target group is outlined. Components of these guidelines are applicable to the population screening. The Dutch College of General Practitioners (NHG) has developed a practice guide for implementation aspects relevant to the population screening.
The screening program has sufficient methods and guidelines to ensure uniform quality.