Laboratory medicine between technological innovation, rights safeguarding, and patient safety: A bioethical perspective

Introduction: The evolution of Laboratory Medicine (LM) has expanded diagnostic and therapeutic horizons, yet ethical concerns pervade its advancements. This article explores the ethical challenges inherent in LM and advocates for a personalist bioethical framework as a guiding principle. It addresses issues such as patient data privacy, healthcare equity, communication of complex analysis results, genetic information management, and conflicts of interest. Objectives: The proposed framework emphasizes principles such as the defense of life, freedom, responsibility, totality in therapy, and sociality and subsidiarity, with a focus on human dignity. Results: Various bioethical theories address complex ethical issues in medicine and health sciences, often combined to guide clinical practice. This study focuses on personalist bioethics, prioritizing human dignity and intrinsic value, advocating for principles like defense of physical life, freedom, totality in therapy, and sociality. In LM, ethical analysis involves patient care, genetic testing, informed consent, and Artificial Intelligence integration, emphasizing transparency and patient autonomy. Conclusion: LM plays a crucial role in healthcare, necessitating ethical considerations amidst technological progress. Upholding ethical frameworks, such as the ethics of good work, can ensure equitable and quality healthcare delivery.