Legal Terms Related to Patient Care

Assault = An intentional threat to cause bodily harm to another; it does not have to include actual body contact. Battery = Unlawful touching of another person without informed consent. Malpractice = Failure to meet a legal duty, thus causing harm to another. Tort = A type of civil law that involves wrong against a person or property.

Libel = A malicious or untrue writing about another person that is brought to the attention of others. Slander = Malicious or untrue spoken words about another person that are brought to the attention of others. Defamation = Spoken or written statements made maliciously and intentionally that may injure the subject’s reputation. Harm = Injury to a person or the person’s property that gives rise to a basis for a legal action against the person.

Competency = A legal presumption that a person who has reached the age of majority can make decisions for herself or himself unless proven otherwise. Negligence = The commission (doing) of an act or the omission (not doing) of an act that a reasonably prudent person would have performed in a similar situation, thus causing harm to another person. Abandonment of care = Wrongful termination of providing patient care. Fraud = Deceptive practices intended to secure an unfair or unlawful gain.

<p>Assault = Can lead to criminal charges and/or civil lawsuits. Battery = Typically results in compensatory damages. Negligence = May result in liability if proven in court. Malpractice = Specific to professional misconduct or incapacity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Defamation = A false statement made in a newspaper about a public figure. Negligence = A doctor forgetting to wash their hands before surgery. Tort = A car accident caused by a distracted driver. Battery = A nurse administering a shot without consent.</p> Signup and view all the answers