Some positions require more than identity, education and employment verification. Where the role, workplace policy or destination-country requirements justify it, an employer may also need a medical examination or drug and alcohol screening before employment begins.
Global Screenings supports the coordination of pre-employment healthcare screening through available laboratories, hospitals and medical providers. The scope may include physical examinations, medical reports, drug and alcohol testing, overseas employment medical checks and other services already included in the agreed screening programme.
Healthcare Screening for Employment
Healthcare screening can help an employer arrange relevant medical or substance testing as part of a wider recruitment process. The checks selected should reflect the position, workplace environment, countries involved and the employer’s established requirements.
The service may support:
- Pre-employment medical checks
- Employment physical examinations
- Drug and alcohol testing
- Overseas employment medical testing
- Medical report examination
- Medical claim or disability-related document checks included in the authorized scope
Healthcare screening may be coordinated alongside a broader Pre-Employment Screening programme where appropriate.
Pre-Employment Medical Checks
A pre-employment medical check may be requested where the employer needs information relevant to the physical requirements of a position or where a particular examination forms part of an overseas employment process.
Depending on the programme, the medical review may involve:
- Basic physical examination
- Medical history information requested by the appointed provider
- Examinations relevant to the role
- Medical reports prepared by the examining provider
- Additional tests included in the employer’s approved screening requirement
The examination and its interpretation should be carried out by the appropriate medical provider. Global Screenings supports the screening arrangement and related verification process but does not diagnose medical conditions or provide clinical advice.
Employment Physical Examinations
A physical examination may be relevant where a role includes particular physical duties, work conditions or overseas employment requirements.
The examination should be connected with the genuine requirements of the position. It should not be used as a general method of excluding candidates or collecting medical information that is unrelated to the role.
The medical provider may report whether the examination was completed and provide the result or medical documentation permitted under the agreed process. The employer remains responsible for deciding how the information is considered within its recruitment procedures.
Drug and Alcohol Testing
Drug and alcohol testing may form part of a workplace or pre-employment screening programme where it is relevant, permitted and included in the employer’s policy.
The screening process may involve sample collection and analysis through an appropriate laboratory or medical facility. The available test type, substances included, collection procedure and reporting format can vary according to the provider, country and programme selected.
A result should be reviewed through the applicable medical and employment process. Global Screenings does not provide a medical diagnosis or independently determine whether a candidate is fit for employment.
Available Drug Testing Panel
The existing Healthcare Screening programme lists testing for the following substances. The exact panel used for an assignment should be confirmed according to the laboratory, country and approved screening scope.
- Alcohol
- Amphetamine (AMP)
- Benzodiazepines (BZO)
- Cocaine (COC)
- Marijuana / THC
- Methadone (MTD)
- Methamphetamine (MET)
- Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA)
- Barbiturates (BAR)
- Phencyclidine (PCP)
- Morphine (MOP)
- Opiates (OPI)
Not every panel is suitable or available for every assignment. The substances included should be agreed before testing begins.
Overseas Employment Medical Testing
People applying to work overseas may be asked to complete medical tests or provide health-related documents as part of the employment, visa or work-permit process.
Overseas medical screening may include:
- Physical examination
- Medical report preparation
- Drug and alcohol testing
- Review of available supporting medical documents
- Other examinations required for the approved overseas employment process
The requirements differ by destination country, employer and type of work. A medical check accepted for one overseas programme may not satisfy the requirements of another.
Where the assignment also includes work permits, identity, education or employment documents, the screening may be coordinated with our Immigration Screening Services.
Working with Laboratories and Medical Providers
The current Healthcare Screening service is supported through a panel of laboratories, hospitals and medical providers used for available testing and examination requirements.
The appropriate provider may depend on:
- The candidate’s location
- The country in which the result will be used
- The type of medical examination required
- The drug or alcohol testing panel selected
- The employer’s approved process
- The availability of a suitable laboratory or hospital
Provider availability, appointment times and reporting periods vary. The expected process should be confirmed before the candidate is instructed to attend.
Medical Reports and Supporting Documents
Medical screening may produce reports, test results, examination records and other supporting documents. These records can contain sensitive personal information and should be shared only with authorized parties.
Where document verification forms part of the instruction, the review may consider:
- The candidate details shown on the report
- The examining provider
- The examination or test date
- The type of examination or test recorded
- Whether the document can be confirmed through an available source
- Any inconsistency requiring clarification
Document verification does not replace a medical examination or confirm the clinical accuracy of a diagnosis.
Medical Claim and Disability-Related Checks
The existing service also includes medical claim and disability-related checks. These may involve reviewing available documents connected with a claim, treatment, examination or employment matter.
Depending on the authorized scope, the review may consider:
- Medical statements
- Treatment dates
- Provider information
- Claim dates
- Employment information
- Other supporting records supplied for review
For a more focused claim review, the matter may be supported through Workers’ Compensation Claim Verification or SIU Insurance Claim Investigations.
Planning a Healthcare Screening Programme
A practical screening programme should identify:
- The positions to which the checks apply
- The medical or testing requirement for each position
- The countries involved
- The laboratory or medical provider required
- The substances included in any drug-testing panel
- The candidate information and documents required
- The people authorized to receive the result
- The procedure for reviewing an incomplete or unexpected result
The same medical or drug-testing package should not automatically be applied to every role. The scope should remain relevant to the position and the approved employment process.
Candidate Privacy and Sensitive Information
Medical and drug-testing information is sensitive. Access should be limited to authorized people who require the result for the stated screening purpose.
The employer should consider how consent, notice, collection, storage, access and retention will be managed under the applicable employment, privacy and data-protection requirements.
Further information about the handling of screening information is available on our Data Protection page.
Understanding the Results
A laboratory or medical result should be considered according to the relevant medical and employment process. An unexpected result may require confirmation, further medical review or another step defined by the employer and provider.
A result should not be interpreted outside its proper context. Global Screenings coordinates and reports information from the agreed screening process but does not make a medical diagnosis or determine treatment.
International Coverage and Limitations
Medical examinations, drug testing, laboratory services and reporting requirements differ by country. A particular test may be available in one location and unavailable or subject to different procedures elsewhere.
Appointment availability, laboratory capacity, local requirements and the type of examination can also affect completion time.
Healthcare screening does not guarantee that every medical condition, substance or workplace concern will be identified. The employer, medical provider and relevant authority remain responsible for decisions relating to medical fitness, employment, treatment, work permits or overseas placement.
