CSC Medical Ethics & Patient Rights 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A collector notices that the test requisition lists an incorrect patient date of birth. The ethically correct action is to:
- Proceed since name and ID number match
- Correct it on the form without notifying anyone
- Clarify and correct the discrepancy before collecting the specimen (Correct answer)
- Collect the specimen and note the error in a personal log
Correct answer: Clarify and correct the discrepancy before collecting the specimen
Discrepancies in patient identifiers must be resolved before collection to ensure accurate patient-specimen matching.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes 'implicit bias' in healthcare collection settings?
- Knowingly treating patients differently based on race
- Unconscious attitudes that may affect patient care without awareness (Correct answer)
- A documented policy that discriminates against certain groups
- Bias that patients report to administrators
Correct answer: Unconscious attitudes that may affect patient care without awareness
Implicit bias involves unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that can unintentionally influence clinical interactions and patient care.
Question 3: A patient who is incarcerated arrives with a correctional officer present during specimen collection. The patient's right to privacy:
- Is fully waived due to their incarceration status
- Still applies to the extent possible given security requirements (Correct answer)
- Is the responsibility of the correctional officer, not the collector
- Does not exist in a non-clinical correctional setting
Correct answer: Still applies to the extent possible given security requirements
Incarcerated individuals retain certain privacy rights, and collectors should protect patient dignity and confidentiality to the extent security protocols allow.
Question 4: A collector is asked by a patient's family member to share test results over the phone. The collector should:
- Share the results if the caller knows the patient's birth date
- Release results only with a signed HIPAA authorization from the patient (Correct answer)
- Confirm or deny whether a test was ordered
- Direct the caller to the patient directly
Correct answer: Release results only with a signed HIPAA authorization from the patient
Test results may only be released to authorized individuals, which requires a valid HIPAA authorization signed by the patient.
Question 5: When a patient with limited English proficiency needs specimen collection instructions, the best practice is to:
- Use hand gestures and proceed without translation
- Ask the patient's accompanying family member to translate
- Use a qualified medical interpreter or approved translation service (Correct answer)
- Provide written instructions in English only
Correct answer: Use a qualified medical interpreter or approved translation service
Qualified medical interpreters ensure accurate communication and protect patient rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Question 6: The principle of justice in medical ethics, as applied to specimen collection, means:
- Punishing collectors who make errors
- Providing fair and equitable care to all patients regardless of background (Correct answer)
- Following the legal chain of custody at all times
- Ensuring that test results are reported to authorities
Correct answer: Providing fair and equitable care to all patients regardless of background
Justice requires that all patients receive equitable treatment and that care is distributed fairly without discrimination.
Question 7: A collector who witnesses a colleague deliberately mislabeling a specimen is ethically obligated to:
- Ignore it to avoid workplace conflict
- Report the incident to a supervisor or compliance officer (Correct answer)
- Relabel the specimen themselves without reporting
- Ask the colleague privately to correct the error and take no further action
Correct answer: Report the incident to a supervisor or compliance officer
Witnessing intentional specimen mislabeling is a patient safety issue that must be reported through proper channels.
CSC Medical Ethics & Patient Rights 3
A collector notices that the test requisition lists an incorrect patient date of birth.
The ethically correct action is to: