Which term describes the professional standard of care that a practitioner should meet?

• A. Duty
• B. Malpractice
• C. Tort
• D. Fraud

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that, once a patient-practitioner relationship exists, the practitioner has a duty to provide care that meets the accepted professional standard. This duty is the obligation to act with competence and reasonable care toward the patient. If that duty is fulfilled, care is appropriate; if it isn’t and harm results, the breach can lead to malpractice. Tort is a broad category of civil wrongs, not specific to professional standards, and fraud involves intentional deception for financial gain. So the obligation you owe to patients—the duty—best describes the professional standard of care a practitioner should meet.