Legal and Ethics Flashcards

A patient verbally agrees to a blood draw but then pulls their arm away mid-procedure. What should the phlebotomist do?

Answer: Stop immediately and document the refusal

Withdrawing consent at any point must be respected; the phlebotomist must stop and document the incident.

Which federal law primarily governs the privacy of patient health information in the United States?

Answer: HIPAA Privacy Rule

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) sets national standards for protecting patient health information.

A phlebotomist accidentally mislabels a specimen, leading to an incorrect diagnosis. This is an example of:

Answer: Negligence

Negligence occurs when a healthcare professional fails to meet the standard of care, causing patient harm.

What is the purpose of a chain of custody form in phlebotomy?

Answer: To track specimen handling from collection to analysis for legal integrity

Chain of custody documents every person who handles a specimen, ensuring its integrity for legal proceedings such as drug testing.

A minor is brought in for a blood draw for an STI test. In most US states, the phlebotomist should:

Answer: Proceed, as minors can typically consent to STI testing themselves

Most states grant minors the legal right to consent to STI testing and treatment without parental involvement.

Which of the following actions would be considered a HIPAA violation by a phlebotomist?

Answer: Sharing a patient's diagnosis with their employer without consent

Disclosing protected health information to an employer without patient authorization is a direct HIPAA violation.

If a phlebotomist witnesses a colleague falsifying a patient's specimen collection time, the ethical obligation is to:

Answer: Report the incident through the appropriate institutional channels

Ethical and legal obligations require reporting falsification of records through proper channels such as a supervisor or compliance office.