Failure by a health professional to meet accepted standards of care.

• A. Negligence
• B. Informed Consent
• C. Advanced Directive
• D. Malpractice

Answer: (D)

Malpractice is the term used when a health professional fails to meet the accepted standard of care, such that a patient is harmed as a result. It combines the duty of a professional to provide appropriate care with a breach of that duty and the causal link to damages, which is why it’s the precise label for this situation.

Informed consent relates to obtaining a patient’s permission after informing them of risks and alternatives; an advanced directive records a patient’s treatment preferences for the future. Negligence is a broader idea of failing to exercise reasonable care, but in the medical context the specific, legally recognized term for professional failure to meet standards of care is malpractice.