Malpractice refers to professional negligence or misconduct by a healthcare provider, which results in harm, injury, or death to a patient. It typically involves a deviation from accepted standards of practice within the medical community.
The standard of care is the level of skill, care, and treatment that a reasonably prudent healthcare provider would deliver in similar circumstances. Deviation from this standard can be grounds for malpractice.
Negligence in healthcare occurs when a healthcare provider fails to exercise reasonable care, resulting in harm to the patient. This could include errors in diagnosis, treatment, or communication.
Informed consent is the legal and ethical requirement for healthcare providers to inform patients about the risks, benefits, and alternatives of a proposed treatment or procedure, allowing the patient to make an educated decision about their care.
Misdiagnosis happens when a healthcare provider incorrectly identifies a patient’s condition or disease, leading to inappropriate treatment, delayed treatment, or failure to treat the actual ailment.
Surgical errors involve mistakes made during surgery, such as operating on the wrong body part, leaving surgical instruments inside the patient, or performing unnecessary procedures.
Medication errors occur when healthcare providers prescribe, dispense, or administer medications incorrectly, resulting in harm to the patient. This can include dosage errors, drug interactions, or prescribing the wrong medication.
Failure to monitor refers to a healthcare provider’s negligence in adequately observing and assessing a patient’s condition during treatment, which can lead to complications or worsening of the patient’s health.
Documentation errors occur when healthcare providers fail to accurately record patient information, including medical history, treatment plans, and progress notes. Inaccurate or incomplete documentation can impact patient care and contribute to malpractice claims.
Patient abandonment occurs when a healthcare provider terminates the patient-provider relationship without providing reasonable notice, referral to another qualified provider, or ensuring continuity of care, which can result in harm to the patient.