Referral, Unsolicited Laboratory

Family physicians occasionally receive results of unsolicited clinical tests on patients with whom no patient-physician relationship exists, most commonly clinical laboratory and radiological studies.

When a family physician receives unsolicited clinical testing results in the absence of a patient-physician relationship, it is the policy of the American Academy of Family Physicians that the physician is not required to assume responsibility for patient notification and/or management of the results. (1992) (2020 COD)