Patient abuse

For the Monty Python sketch, see Patient Abuse.
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Patient abuse or patient neglect is any action or failure to act which causes unreasonable suffering, misery or harm to the patient.[1] Elder abuse is classified as patient abuse of those older than 60 and forms a large proportion of patient abuse.[2]

  • Abuse includes physically striking or sexually assaulting a patient. It also includes the intentional withholding of necessary food, physical care, and medical attention.
  • Neglect includes the failure to properly attend to the needs and care of a patient, or the unintentional causing of injury to a patient, whether by act or omission.[3]

Patient abuse and neglect may occur in settings such as hospitals,[4] nursing homes,[5] clinics[6] and during home-based care.[7] Health professionals who abuse patients may be deemed unfit to practice and have their medical license removed[8]: 20  as well as facing criminal charges as well as civil cases.

Abuse amongst the general adult population has not been well-addressed in literature.[2]: 8 

  1. ^ "Patient Abuse". Stop Fraud Colorado. Colorado Attorney General's Office. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  2. ^ a b Goodman, Octavia (2020). Preventing Patient Abuse: Why Abuse Happens and How to Stop It (PDF). The International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety – Foundation.
  3. ^ "Medicaid Fraud Definitions". Office of the Attorney General. State of Ohio. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  4. ^ Slavin, Erik (16 January 2010). "Doctor faces court-martial in patient abuse case". Stars & Stripes. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  5. ^ "Patient abuse – nurse struck off". BBC News. 30 April 2003. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  6. ^ Krell, Alexis (9 October 2017). "Doctor charged with sex crimes at Bremerton clinic is at center of women's lawsuit". The News Tribune. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  7. ^ Gorman, Anna (6 January 2015). "When Home Caregivers Kill the Elderly With Neglect". The Atlantic. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  8. ^ The GMC's fitness to practise procedures (PDF). General Medical Council.