Medical screening format

The “Medical Screening Format” was developed by Prof. Bent Sørensen and Lis Danielsen (MD DMSc.) in connection with a training seminar on the Istanbul Protocol in 2001.

The objective of the format is to ensure that the relevant authority receives immediate information about possible cases of torture or ill-treatment. The screening format does not represent an exhaustive examination in the context of an investigation of torture, and therefore the Istanbul Principles would not be applicable.  It is intended to be an auxiliary instrument leading to an early detection of cases of alleged torture.

In this sense, the present format has an additional objective: to facilitate the generic obligation to inform about alleged illegal acts, and the special obligation which the legislation imposes on the physicians, according to which every physician who receives information as described above, has to bring this to the knowledge of the relevant authorities. Consequently, once the investigating bodies receive information as described in this section, it would be necessary to consider it as a complaint and to start an investigation process.

To secure a rapid processing of the case, the report needs to be prepared immediately after the examination, i.e. on the same day.

Click here to download the Medical Screening Format as a PDF file.

Español: Formato de Evaluación Médica

Français: Formulaire d'évaluation médicale