Cee-Jay E.

Trinidad BSMLS-1E

Article Evaluated: Aggarwal, N., Kare, P. K., & Datta, S. K. (2021, February 4). Ethics in
laboratory medicine: An overview of considerations for ethical issues. IntechOpen.
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/75086

Inside our medical laboratories, it is unavoidable that various errors or issues

will arise, especially because our medical technologists or technicians perform multiple
simple to complex standardized laboratory processes and procedures that require accuracy
and transparency. Consent, confidentiality, codes of conduct, conflict of interest, lab
utilization, proficiency, direct access testing, are some of the issues and challenges
encountered that can all have a significant impact on the overall process of the tests
performed, as well as in the decisions about the diagnosis and treatment of the patient.
Moreover, in order to resolve and at least alleviate all of these kinds of circumstances, one of
the most vital aspect that needs to be continuously practiced and applied in the laboratory is
ethics, just as this article “Ethics in laboratory medicine: An overview of considerations for
ethical issues” draws attention to. This article likewise, inculcates in our mind that having the
in-depth understanding about ethics in application to laboratory results is as important when
it comes to the welfare of the staff, as it protects their confidence, operational integrity,
capability, impartiality, and safety. This article also covers the evolution of ethics from both
international and national viewpoints, principles of ethics, various international ethical
considerations defined by the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC),
American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC), and International Organization for
Standardization (ISO), codes of ethics, ethical issues in the laboratory in the pre-analytic,
analytic, and post-analytic phases, all of which address the ethical issues that arise inside
the laboratory.
This article, moreover, has a comprehensive coverage as it tackles and offers
an extensive examination of ethical concerns from pre-analytical to post-analytical phases of
laboratory operations, which provides a holistic or general view of the subject matter. It
discusses how ethics could be properly observed and applied by the staff from their
responsibilities, principles and qualities that needs to be carried out, on how should they
treat their patients, and how should they perform their duties starting from the collection of
specimens until the time that the results has already been released. Additionally, the
inclusion of the historical evolution of ethical guidelines from international to national levels
adds depth and context to the discussion. This gives the text a solid foundation, making it
appear more convincing and factual to the readers, since it outlines how these ethical
standards grew and progressed throughout time until they reached the present. It is also
useful since it helps individuals to understand and be aware of the ethical regulations or
principles that are being followed not just on a broad scale or internationally, but also in a
more concentrated aspect such as our own country. Furthermore, the emphasis on
guidelines proposed by key organizations such as the International Federation of Clinical
Chemistry (IFCC), the American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC), and the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) highlights efforts to establish and
enforce ethical conduct in laboratory settings. This simply demonstrates that the ethical
considerations presented have a solid legal foundation, as these various high ethical
standards are also significantly and widely applied in various well-known countries and
related societies which hold a major part in the field of laboratory medicine. This stresses
how many groups or associations may interact or collaborate, discussing and establishing
appropriate ethical principles that can be beneficially implemented within the laboratory to
handle the numerous challenges that emerge on a daily basis in the field of work.
Nevertheless, what might have been added or expressed more clearly in this
piece is the inclusion of a few practical situations or circumstances in which the supplied
ethical notions and considerations may be implemented. The lack of examples like this or
real-life experiences constraints and makes it difficult for readers to grasp and apply these
issues to the day-to-day events that may be observed and occur within laboratories. The
incorporation of these aspects in this specific chapter would broaden its applicability,
consistency, and reader engagement, allowing them to see the importance or relevance of
these concepts as a key to the resolution of various ethical issues and having a more
tranquil laboratory environment. Furthermore, the scope of this article's context is only
restricted to global and national aspects, failing to delve deeper in varying community
contexts, despite the fact that there is a significant diversity of culture amongst groups of
people and nations. Thus, a more in-depth examination of the challenges and methods for
implementing these ethical norms in various cultural or resource-constrained instances may
have expanded and branched out the scope of this paper. This would allow the laboratory's
numerous staff members to properly assess or think of the appropriate attitude or conduct
that they can employ as they face these specific individuals or groups with the utmost
respect and acceptance, while still observing the various standards of ethics. Moreover,
while this article emphasizes how these applications of ethical considerations could
benefitably resolve existing issues within the laboratory, it lacks emphasis and focus on the
challenges faced by laboratory personnel in terms of upholding these ethical standards,
particularly when problems such as conflicting interests, resource limitations, and practical
barriers exist. Thus, a more critical and thorough evaluation could have been applied to
provide a more comprehensive framework that laboratory personnel could use as they face
challenges in adhering to these ethical standards, given that they are confronted with diverse
societies, people, and narratives that are in need of their services.
In conclusion, the article "Ethics in Laboratory Medicine: An Overview of
Considerations for Ethical Issues" is extremely useful and has a wide range of applicability in
the field of laboratory medicine, as it emphasizes the importance of having ethical standards
and considerations within laboratory premises. It broadens people's knowledge and
perspectives, particularly those who work inside the laboratories, about the basics to the
complexities of laboratory ethics, so they can use and apply it in a real-life setting, which
helps to curtail or alleviate existing issues that do occur within their field of work. It also
contains a broad range of foundations from both national and international levels, and it
provided an excellent review on how these ethical standards evolved and remained
enforceable from the past to the present. However, greater deliberation and attention might
have been done to improve its substance, acknowledging many cultural groups and
communities across the world, so that these ethical standards would be required and
effectively implemented for every individual. Furthermore, a critical study of the problems
that staff may experience in sustaining these standards may have been carried out,
particularly when confronted with a diversity of persons and settings, optimizing its
usefulness for experts in the area. Overall, the primary purpose of this article has been
reached and properly addressed, providing both knowledge and understanding about the
applicability of ethics in laboratory premises not just to the laboratory personnels who
provide services, but also to those of people who are being provided with service.