Blood Test?

Question

I have a hypothetically question what got me interested in this topic was I was on webmd and saw an add for at home blood test for ranges of disease and ect. Anyway the question is,

Say you had to take a generic blood test (non life threatening) just generic, so they send you test to a lab and as the lab technician is preforming the blood test specify he notices that you have a life threating condition(say HIV or any other life threatening condition) and not what the test asked for, does the lab have a responsibility to notify your doctor to notify you, or can lab choose not to disclose that information because the HIV or whatever life threating blood disease wasn't paid for.

Answer 1

I am not sure about ALL life threatening conditions, but I know in my state, I work for the Red Cross. It is routine that we test for diseases before blood transuse...If we get a positive test for ANYTHING, we have to report to certain companys for the purpose of state and country statistics..We do not pick up the phone and call the donor, unless they have asked specifically to test for HIV or other diseases/disorders..If this were a private pracice sending your results to a lab that has a contract with this private practice, I know that they will contact your regular MD (doctor) and notify of the results..Hope this helped!!

Answer 2

I believe it becomes a moral issue (to inform someone of a 'life threatening) result when it wasn't asked for to begin with. The lab tech is responsible for what was asked of him/her to do.

Answer 3

They have the ethical responsibility to inform your doctor, and you of course, so that proper measures could be adopted, of course if you have not paid for it then I know you would also feel that it is your ethical obligation to pay them even if you have not requested it because of the fact that you were informed of that very important fact that definitely will affect your well being.