what does malpractice mean in medical terms

Medical malpractice means a health care professional gives care that falls below the accepted standard, and the patient is harmed as a result.

In plain terms

It usually means a doctor, nurse, dentist, hospital, or other provider made a serious mistake, acted carelessly, or failed to do something they reasonably should have done. It is not just a bad outcome; there has to be a departure from the normal standard of care and some injury or loss tied to it.

Common examples

• Missing or delaying a diagnosis.
• Giving the wrong treatment or medication.
• Making a surgical error.
• Failing to monitor a patient properly.
• Not warning a patient about important risks.

Simple distinction

A poor result by itself does not always mean malpractice. The key question is whether the provider acted below the level of care expected from a reasonably competent professional in the same situation.

One-line definition

Medical malpractice is professional medical negligence that causes harm.