Medical Ethics & Patient Rights Flashcards
7 cards from real CLT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Medical Ethics & Patient Rights flashcards as text
A laboratory technologist receives a subpoena requesting patient records. The correct first step is to:
Answer: Notify the institution's legal counsel before releasing any records
Subpoenas must be reviewed by legal counsel to determine their validity and whether a court order or patient authorization is required before release.
A patient asks a laboratory technologist to explain what a 'critical value' means for their test result. The technologist should:
Answer: Direct the patient to speak with their ordering provider for interpretation
Interpreting clinical significance of results is within the physician's scope; the laboratory technologist should refer the patient to their provider.
Which of the following represents a breach of patient confidentiality in the clinical laboratory?
Answer: Sharing a patient's positive drug screen with a coworker not involved in care
Sharing patient results with staff not involved in the patient's care is an unauthorized disclosure and a HIPAA violation.
What is the primary purpose of a chain-of-custody procedure in forensic laboratory specimens?
Answer: To document the unbroken sequence of possession and handling to preserve legal integrity
Chain-of-custody documents every person who handles a forensic specimen, preserving the legal admissibility of test results in court.
An unconscious patient arrives in the emergency department without identification. Under which ethical principle is it permissible to collect laboratory specimens without explicit consent?
Answer: Implied consent in an emergency
Implied consent applies in emergencies when a patient is incapacitated and immediate testing is needed to preserve life, as a reasonable person would consent to necessary care.
A laboratory professional who intentionally alters a test result to benefit a patient financially (e.g., avoiding a costly follow-up) is committing:
Answer: Fraud and a violation of professional integrity
Falsifying results for financial gain—regardless of intent—constitutes fraud, compromises patient safety, and violates professional standards.
Which ethical concept requires laboratory professionals to be truthful with patients and clinical staff, including reporting errors honestly?
Answer: Veracity
Veracity is the ethical duty to be truthful, which includes honest communication about laboratory errors, limitations, and results.