Final answer:
The ethical area in question is the privacy rights and confidentiality in healthcare, with the violation of HIPAA and GINA when a clinic releases genetic information without consent. Questions include the use of genome sequencing and the ethical use of genetic data.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ethical area involved when a clinic releases genetic test results to a patient's employer without the patient's consent pertains to privacy rights and confidentiality in healthcare. This situation primarily involves the violation of laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which safeguards against the unauthorized, nonconsensual release of individually identifiable health information. Additionally, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) specifically prohibits genetic discrimination by health insurance companies and workplaces, thus protecting an individual's genetic information from being used for employment discrimination.
Three questions that require an understanding of genetics regarding the ethical and social issues might include: Should genome sequencing be a standard practice for everybody? For what purposes should the data be used? How should the data on the presence of a particular disease-causing allele in an individual be used ethically?
It's essential that these topics continue to be addressed, emphasizing the need for ongoing conversations about these issues so that genomic data can be used responsibly while maintaining confidentiality and respecting individual's rights in medical and employment situations.