In any case, some experts argue that widespread screening would be cost effective if schools had reasonable guidelines to use for determining which children should see a physician for further testing. The following are some suggested guidelines for determining the need for a physician referral:
Children should be sent to a physician only if they have a 30-degree curve. (A 20-degree curve with a 5-degree trunk rotation has been the criteria for recommending treatment, although up to 80% of 20-degree curves do not get worse.)
Children with curves between 20 and 30 degrees would be screened every six months.
Such guidelines would detect about 95% of all genuinely serious cases while referring only 3% of all children tested, thereby cutting costs without jeopardizing children.
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