Consent Information for Laboratory Tests

When visiting this hospital as a patient, your doctor may request some laboratory tests. To do these tests it will be necessary to collect certain specimens from you, for example, blood, urine or other bodily fluids or tissue.

Your doctor or nurse will explain the need for these tests. The results will be given to your doctor and used to help him/her to make a diagnosis and/or follow your progress after any treatment.

CONSENT

It is important for your health care that you agree to these tests. Most times a verbal agreement is sufficient. At other times, for example, when a biopsy is to be taken, you will be asked to sign a Consent Form.

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR SPECIMEN?

What happens to my blood sample? from Craig Webster on Vimeo.

When all the tests that your doctor has requested have been completed, there may be some of your specimen left, this will either be thrown away or stored for future testing if a doctor thinks this may be of some use in caring for you.

On some occasions we would like to use this left over specimen for teaching, Public Health monitoring or to ensure the accuracy of laboratory equipment or systems in the laboratory.

If your left-over specimen was to be used in this way your name would be removed. However sometimes it will be necessary to retain some information, for example, your age and sex. In either case no one would be able to trace the specimen back to you and its use would not alter your treatment in anyway.

Please tell your doctor/nurse if you do not wish your left over specimen to be used in this way. Your wishes will be recorded on the request form accompanying your tests.

If the procedure to collect your specimen requires you to sign a consent form there is a specific section for you to record your wishes.

This use of left over specimen is different from any specific research or clinical trials, which your doctor may have discussed with you.