What does negligence in health care refer to?

Negligence in health care is understood as the failure to provide the standard of care that is expected from a medical professional in a given situation. This standard is usually defined by what a reasonable and competent health care provider would do under similar circumstances. When a health care provider does not meet this requisite standard, and as a result, a patient suffers harm, this can legally be classified as negligence.

The concept encompasses various actions or inactions that fall below the acceptable level of care, leading to adverse outcomes for patients. For example, if a doctor misdiagnoses a condition due to lack of diligence or fails to provide necessary follow-up care, this could constitute negligence.

While providing excessive care or unnecessary treatments may lead to other legal issues or ethical dilemmas, these actions do not specifically address the failure to meet the required standard of care, which is the essence of negligence. Similarly, breaching patient confidentiality is a serious violation of ethical and legal standards in health care, but it does not pertain directly to negligence regarding the quality of care delivered.