Which of the following is a common type of civil action in healthcare?

Negligence in patient care is a prevalent civil action in the healthcare sector because it focuses on the legal responsibility healthcare providers have to offer care that meets accepted medical standards. When a healthcare professional fails to provide that standard of care, resulting in harm to a patient, it can lead to a negligence claim. This claim centers on whether the provider acted with the degree of care that a reasonably competent professional would have exercised in similar circumstances.

While violations of patient privacy and lack of informed consent are also significant issues within healthcare that can lead to civil actions, negligence in patient care is particularly common as it encompasses a wide range of potential claims. These can include things like errors in diagnosis, treatment mistakes, improper monitoring, and failure to follow established protocols, all of which can lead to significant patient harm.

Criminal negligence differs from civil negligence, as it involves actions that are considered to be a crime rather than a civil wrong, thus falling under a different category and legal framework.