CSC Medical Ethics & Patient Rights 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient refuses to have blood drawn for a court-ordered drug test. What is the specimen collector's appropriate response?
- Restrain the patient and proceed with the draw
- Document the refusal and notify the ordering authority (Correct answer)
- Attempt to convince the patient by explaining legal consequences
- Call law enforcement immediately to force compliance
Correct answer: Document the refusal and notify the ordering authority
When a patient refuses a court-ordered test, the collector must document the refusal and report it to the appropriate authority rather than using force.
Question 2: Which ethical principle requires a specimen collector to act in the best interest of the patient?
- Autonomy
- Justice
- Beneficence (Correct answer)
- Non-maleficence
Correct answer: Beneficence
Beneficence means acting in the patient's best interest, while non-maleficence means avoiding harm.
Question 3: A minor presents alone for a urine drug screen ordered by their employer. What should the collector do?
- Proceed since the employer ordered the test
- Refuse collection until a parent or guardian provides consent (Correct answer)
- Contact the employer for verbal authorization
- Collect the specimen and flag it for supervisor review
Correct answer: Refuse collection until a parent or guardian provides consent
Minors generally cannot provide legally valid consent; a parent or guardian must authorize non-emergency procedures.
Question 4: A collector overhears a coworker sharing a patient's positive drug test result with another employee not involved in the patient's care. This is a violation of:
- OSHA bloodborne pathogen standards
- HIPAA Privacy Rule (Correct answer)
- Chain of custody regulations
- Federal drug testing workplace policy
Correct answer: HIPAA Privacy Rule
Sharing protected health information with unauthorized individuals violates the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
Question 5: What does the ethical principle of veracity require of a specimen collector?
- Treating all patients fairly regardless of background
- Telling the truth to patients about procedures and findings (Correct answer)
- Avoiding any action that might harm the patient
- Respecting the patient's right to make their own decisions
Correct answer: Telling the truth to patients about procedures and findings
Veracity is the duty to be truthful and honest when communicating with patients.
Question 6: A patient asks the collector to mark their specimen as someone else's to avoid a positive result. The collector should:
- Decline and explain that doing so would be fraud (Correct answer)
- Agree if the patient seems distressed
- Collect the specimen anonymously without a name
- Consult a supervisor before deciding
Correct answer: Decline and explain that doing so would be fraud
Falsifying specimen identification is fraud, and the collector must refuse and explain why.
Question 7: Which patient right is specifically protected when a collector explains the purpose and procedure of specimen collection before beginning?
- Right to privacy
- Right to informed consent (Correct answer)
- Right to refuse treatment
- Right to confidentiality
Correct answer: Right to informed consent
Explaining the procedure and its purpose before collection upholds the patient's right to informed consent.
CSC Medical Ethics & Patient Rights 2
A patient refuses to have blood drawn for a court-ordered drug test.
What is the specimen collector's appropriate response?