This assignment builds on adding an in-depth analysis of negligence, defined as the ‘failure to exercise the standard of care required by law to protect others from an unreasonable risk of harm” (p. 419). Your task for this week explores negligence using a real-life scenario of your choosing from the healthcare field.
Negligence in Healthcare
Choose a contemporary example of negligence in healthcare. You can begin by visiting the Internet Resources provided by your textbook (p. 437), journals, case studies, as well as news items such as the ones used in this week’s discussion question.
Your analysis for this section should include the following:
Introduce the specifics of the situation, who was involved, and what happened?
How is this situation an example of negligence? Who is thought to be negligent and why? Be thorough in your discussion of negligence, including the elements of negligence and types of damages.
This week you explored complex issues related to liability risks, negligence, tort reform proposals, and defects in our legal system. For this discussion, find 3 examples of current public policy liability issues, at least one of which is related to healthcare (such as medical malpractice), that have been in your local news over the last five years. The issues you select should reflect one of the public social liability issues outlined in Chapter 19. In your discussion, briefly introduce the issue and its circumstances. Next, discuss what legal or policy reforms it created (if any) or, what legal or policy reforms you think should be a result of this example and why.