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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>57097</law_id><section_number>8.01-581.18:1</section_number><catch_line>Immunity of physicians for laboratory results and examinations</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>8.01-581.18</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="8.01">Civil Remedies and Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="21.1">Medical Malpractice</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="2">Miscellaneous Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> No <span class="dictionary">physician</span> shall be liable for the failure to review or act on the results of laboratory tests or examinations of the physical or mental condition of any <span class="dictionary">patient</span>, which tests or examinations the <span class="dictionary">physician</span> neither requested nor authorized, unless (i) the report of such results is provided directly to the <span class="dictionary">physician</span> by the <span class="dictionary">patient</span> so examined or tested with a request for consultation; (ii) the <span class="dictionary">physician</span> assumes responsibility to review or act on the results; or (iii) the <span class="dictionary">physician</span> has reason to know that in <span class="dictionary">order</span> to manage the specific mental or physical condition of the <span class="dictionary">patient</span>, review of or <span class="dictionary">action</span> on the pending results is needed. However, no <span class="dictionary">physician</span> shall be immune under this section unless the <span class="dictionary">physician</span> establishes that (a) no <span class="dictionary">physician</span>-<span class="dictionary">patient</span> relationship existed when the results were received or accessed; or (b) the <span class="dictionary">physician</span> received or accessed the results without a request for consultation and without responsibility for management of the specific mental or physical condition of the <span class="dictionary">patient</span> relating to the results or (c) the <span class="dictionary">physician</span> consulted on a specific mental or physical condition, the results were not part of that <span class="dictionary">physician</span>&#x2019;s management of the <span class="dictionary">patient</span> and the <span class="dictionary">physician</span> had no reason to know that he was to inform the <span class="dictionary">patient</span> of the results or refer the <span class="dictionary">patient</span> to another <span class="dictionary">physician</span>; or (d) the <span class="dictionary">physician</span> received or accessed results, the interpretation of which would exceed the <span class="dictionary">physician</span>&#x2019;s scope of practice and the <span class="dictionary">physician</span> had no reason to know that he was to inform the <span class="dictionary">patient</span> of the results or refer the <span class="dictionary">patient</span> to another <span class="dictionary">physician</span>. <a id="paragraph-209093" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-581.18_1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> As used in this section, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">physician</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">person</span> licensed to practice medicine, chiropractic, or osteopathy in the Commonwealth pursuant to Chapter 29 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/54.1-2900/">54.1-2900</a> et. seq.) of Title 54.1. <a id="paragraph-209094" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-581.18_1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2006, c. 684.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
