Ethics and laboratory medicine.

Ethical issues have been given limited attention by professionals in laboratory medicine. Professional ethics is the moral bond that links a profession, the people it serves, and society. Understanding the complexities of individual and common good is essential for full professional participation in major issues in health care. Specific issues that challenge laboratory professionals in clinical research are allocation of health-care resources, testing conducted nearer the patient, confidentiality, screening tests, and molecular biology. A voice in ethical issues is an essential element of professional independence. The ethical attitudes we display influence the kind of people who choose to work in our profession. More open discussion about ethics is necessary in our professional literature.