What is the appropriate action for a medical student when asked by a patient to provide medical results?

In the scenario where a medical student is asked by a patient to provide medical results, the response is considered very inappropriate because of the ethical and professional guidelines surrounding patient confidentiality and the authority of medical professionals. Medical students, while knowledgeable, do not have the full legal or ethical standing to disclose patient information.

Patient results must typically be communicated by a qualified healthcare professional, such as a doctor or a nurse, who can ensure that the information is conveyed accurately and in the proper context. The disclosure of medical results also involves not only the technical sharing of information but also the requirement to explain the implications of those results and address any questions or concerns the patient may have with the appropriate expertise.

Furthermore, patient confidentiality is a cornerstone of healthcare ethics. Allowing a medical student to share such sensitive information may breach this fundamental principle, as the student may not have a complete understanding of the patient's health context or the nuances of the results. Thus, for these reasons, it would be considered very inappropriate for a medical student to provide medical results directly to a patient.