What is defined as malpractice in healthcare?

Malpractice in healthcare is defined as a legal action that arises when a healthcare professional's actions lead to harm, due to failure to meet established standards of care. This definition encompasses situations where a practitioner does not adhere to the expected protocols or guidelines, resulting in injury or damage to the patient. The critical element in malpractice is the concept of duty of care and the breach of that duty, which must lead to quantifiable harm for a malpractice case to be substantiated.

The other options describe scenarios that can sometimes be related to malpractice but do not encompass the full legal definition. For instance, failure to follow up with a patient might contribute to negligence, but on its own does not constitute malpractice unless it meets the criteria of failing to meet a standard of care that results in harm. Providing care without patient consent may raise ethical concerns and legal issues but doesn't automatically define malpractice without evidence of harm linked to the lack of consent. An error in medication administration can be a component of malpractice if it demonstrates a failure to follow standard procedures, but it requires context about the resultant harm and the standards of care to meet the full definition.