"Serious" but not "imminent": genetics and the disclosure of health information to at-risk relatives.

The most recent amendment to the Health Information Privacy Code (HIPC) permits disclosure of health information to third parties where there is "serious" risk to the life and safety of an individual or to others. In this article, I discuss the complexities that arise in the application of the new test for "seriousness" to genetic information and why this standard is subjective and a threat to patient privacy.