Malpractice in healthcare refers to professional negligence by act or omission by a healthcare provider in which the treatment provided falls below the accepted standard of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient.
It encompasses a range of errors, such as:
Malpractice hinges on three key elements:
When malpractice takes place, state medical malpractice laws enable patients to seek compensation for the damages stemming from sub-standard care.
Malpractice, stemming from medical errors that lead to patient injury, harm, or death, can drastically impact a patient’s health and quality of life. The adverse effects may be immediate or lead to long-term consequences that permanently change a patient’s life.
Malpractice also significantly undermines patient trust, the cornerstone of effective healthcare delivery. When patients suffer due to preventable errors, it can lead to a loss of confidence in individual providers and the healthcare system at large.
Aside from the pain caused to the patient, malpractice also presents a massive financial risk for hospitals and clinics due to potential settlements.