Patient Care Technician (PCT) AAH Practice Exam

What do you call it when a patient is not cared for correctly?

1. Negligence

2. Forgetting to do the treatment

3. Malpractice

4. Ethics

The correct answer is: Negligence

Negligence refers to the failure to take proper care in doing something, which, in the context of patient care, specifically means that the standard of care expected from a healthcare provider has not been met. When a patient is not cared for correctly, it often indicates a lack of attention or failure to fulfill obligations that ensure the safety and well-being of the patient. This could include overlooking important aspects of care, not adhering to established protocols, or failing to address a patient's needs appropriately. Malpractice is a more specific term that refers to professional negligence by a healthcare provider in which the care provided falls below the accepted standard, resulting in harm to the patient. While malpractice can stem from negligence, not all instances of negligence may meet the legal threshold for malpractice. Forgetting to do the treatment is a subset of negligence but may not encompass all aspects of inadequate care. It specifically points to the act of omission rather than encompassing the broader concept of failing to provide appropriate care overall. Ethics pertains to the moral principles that guide the behavior and actions of healthcare providers but does not directly define a failure in patient care. While ethical considerations are fundamental to patient care, they are not the term used to describe a lack of proper care. Thus, the term that best