Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) SLC Practice Exam

Which scenario represents an act of medical negligence?

1. A patient's informed consent is not obtained

2. A delay in diagnosing a condition

3. A medical device malfunction

4. A decision made based on patient history alone

The correct answer is: A delay in diagnosing a condition

The scenario representing an act of medical negligence is when there is a delay in diagnosing a condition. Medical negligence occurs when a healthcare provider fails to provide the standard of care that a reasonably competent provider would have offered in similar circumstances, leading to harm or a worsened condition for the patient. In the case of a delay in diagnosis, it suggests that the healthcare provider did not adequately assess the patient’s condition. This delay can result in the progression of the illness to a more severe stage, which could have been avoided with timely intervention. The key aspect here is that the delay reflects a failure to act or a failure to act with the expected timeliness required for appropriate patient care, which constitutes negligence if it can be demonstrated that this lack of timely care caused harm to the patient. Obtaining informed consent, while critical in medical practice, is more about ensuring that patients are educated about their treatment options and risks rather than a direct act of negligence itself. A malfunctioning medical device can lead to adverse effects but falls under issues related to product liability or faulty equipment rather than direct negligence by a medical professional. Similarly, making a decision based solely on patient history may not inherently constitute negligence if the provider's actions can be justified based on that history.