THE DOCTOR AND THE SCALES OF JUSTICE: A PRIMER ON MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE

Increasing regulation, corporate incursion, and new medical technologies have decreased physician autonomy and posed new challenges to developing and maintaining physician-patient relationships. Compromised communication with the patient and lack of documentation in the delivery of care may lead to a legal claim of medical negligence. Failure to exercise the standard of care of a reasonably prudent physician in the same or similar circumstances is medical negligence. This paper will review the elements required to prove a case of medical negligence, discuss measures for prevention, and anticipate future areas for negligence claims which may arise with emerging technologies.