Our Pledge

A DNA test is a lifelong commitment. The knowledge you gain from your DNA test stays with you forever, potentially influencing the trajectory of your life. Our laboratory is honored to conduct this significant test for you with confidence, professionalism, and care. Specializing in DNA testing, we are committed to help you obtain definitive and reliable answers.

Below is our laboratory’s Code of Ethics. We take immense pride in the quality and care invested in every test. We are pleased to share our laboratory’s responsibilities and obligations to you, our valued patients.

Our Code of Ethics is designed to ensure appropriate and proper conduct. It outlines the principles and standards of our laboratory and serves as a guide for all our laboratory personnel in their activities and conduct.

Guiding Principles of Our Code of Ethics

Three core principles guide our pursuit of excellence in DNA testing. These principles shape our interactions with clients, employees, and the community, forming the backbone of our pledge to providing the highest quality service.

1. Our responsibility to our patients and clients

Our primary responsibility is to our patients and clients, and to the families who depend on us for our testing services. We are committed to providing the highest quality testing service using the most accurate and latest DNA technology. As testing accuracy, speed, pricing, and reliability are largely influenced by technology, we continually strive to keep up with the latest advancements, employing state-of-the-art equipment and delivering the most precise results. We aim to balance affordable pricing with unwavering commitment to accuracy. We will never compromise accuracy for speed or cost. If additional testing is required for special cases, we will ensure it is done promptly and accurately. We are committed to maintaining the privacy of our patients and will only use patient samples and files for their intended purpose.

2. Our responsibility to our employees

We must be fully responsible to our employees, including our technical staff, laboratory staff, and office staff, as well as our contract personnel and registered nurses who work off-site. We must ensure everyone is respected for their individuality and recognized for their merit. We stand for equal employment opportunities and personal growth. Our management team is committed to fair and ethical conduct.

3. Our responsibility to our community

We must be responsible to our community in which we live and work. Our laboratory must strive to support charitable causes and contribute our fair share of taxes. We must encourage improvements in testing technology to ensure better, faster, and more affordable services. We are committed to protecting our environment through appropriate recycling procedures.

Roles and Responsibilities

To ensure the effective implementation of our guiding principles, we have clearly defined roles and responsibilities for our laboratory personnel and testing facility. These roles and responsibilities are designed to maintain the highest standards of professional conduct and service delivery.

A. The Laboratory Personnel

• Laboratory personnel must uphold current standards of best practice, as outlined in our Quality Manual and Policy and Procedures Manual.
• Laboratory personnel must adhere to accepted methods and practices in the DNA laboratory, guided by the Parentage Testing Protocols and Procedures Manual.
• Laboratory personnel should strive to increase their knowledge and skill to provide a high level of professional service. This includes staying current with developments in DNA testing technology, attending relevant conferences, and networking with other experts in the field of DNA technology and DNA statistics.
• Laboratory directors must hold doctoral degrees in molecular biology.
• In general, test results should only be provided upon completion of testing.
• If delays occur due to lack of DNA on swab samples or naturally occurring mutations in the patient’s genome, additional testing may be necessary. In such cases, extra time must be allowed to complete all necessary additional tests to generate conclusive results.

B. The Testing Facility

• The testing facility must stay current with evolving technology. Given the swift pace of advancements in DNA testing technology, the laboratory must maintain the financial capability to equip itself with the latest technology to ensure fast, affordable, and accurate testing at all times.
• The laboratory should maintain user manuals for laboratory users as well as manuals governing work within the laboratory.

C. The Client

• Clients must be treated with dignity and respect. The laboratory must preserve patient information in professional confidence, and fulfill professional acts once undertaken to their conclusion.
• The laboratory should preserve patient information in professional confidence. DNA testing often involves multiple individuals or family members and may require specific personal information. The laboratory must ensure that irrelevant personal information is not inappropriately disclosed to other parties involved in the test without specific written consent from the individual.
• Test reports should only be issued to individuals who were pre-authorized to receive such information.