Professional negligence that harms a patient is called?

• A. Negligence
• B. Primary Care Model
• C. Medical Doctor (MD)
• D. Malpractice

Answer: (D)

Malpractice is professional negligence by a healthcare provider that harms a patient. It occurs when a clinician falls below the standard of care—what a reasonably skilled practitioner would do in similar circumstances—and that failure causes injury, with tangible damages.

Think of the standard of care as the expected level of expertise and actions in medical practice. For malpractice to be present, several elements are involved: the clinician had a duty to the patient, there was a breach of the standard of care, the breach caused the injury, and damages resulted from that harm.

For example, if a surgeon fails to monitor a patient after a procedure and ignores signs of a complication, leading to additional injury that could have been prevented, that scenario fits malpractice because a professional standard was not met and harm occurred.

Negligence is a broader term for failing to exercise reasonable care in general, whereas malpractice specifically refers to professional negligence within medical care. The other choices describe a care model or a credential, not the act of harming a patient through professional negligence.