Definition
(Medical) Malpractice/Malpraxis (Fr: “ faute professionnelle“, n.f., Gr: ιατρικό σφάλμα) [See also: damages, corporate malpractice, negligence, injury, human integrity] = a professional error committed in the practice of medicine, which appears when a health care practitioner's performance fails to meet the standard of care provided by others under similar circumstances and as result causes damage to a patient. In general, malpractice is defined as a violation of a duty or a legal obligation and it implies that the health care practitioner has breached a ban or has not fulfilled an obligation. The most important characteristics of medical malpractice are: failure to provide a proper standard of care; injury as the consequence of negligence; injury with deleterious consequences.
Victims of medical malpractice seek compensation for their physical or emotional injuries.
Useful links
Legislation
http://www.avocatnet.ro/content/articles/id_41319/Legea-nr-95-2006-reforma-in-domeniul-sanatatii-republicata-la-28-august-2015.html - Romanian health law [Romania]
Organisations and associations
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama - American Medical Association
http://www.wma.net/ - World Medical Association
Online publications
http://www.parliament.bg/pub/ECD/72431COM_2008_415_EN_ACTE_f.pdf - The European Commission, Communication from the Commission: A Community framework on the application of patients' rights in cross-border healthcare, SEC(2008) 2183 [English]
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248175.php - Nordqvist C., 2014, What is medical malpractice?, MedicalNewsToday [English]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2779963/ - Pandit M.S., 2009, Medical negligence: Coverage of the profession, duties, ethics, case law, and enlightened defence - A legal perspective, Indian J Urol. 2009 Jul-Sep; 25(3): 372-378 [English]
http://ikee.lib.auth.gr/record/135131/files/GRI-2014-13122.pdf - Papageorgiou T., 2014, The criminal responsibility of obstetrician- gynaecologist according to greek case law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: postgraduate thesis [Greek]
http://www.hope.be/05eventsandpublications/docpublications/71_malpractice/71_malpracticereport_2004.pdf - Standing Committee of the Hospitals of the European Union, 2004, Insurance and malpractice, Final report of HOPE’s Sub-Committee on Co-ordination [English]
http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/20archives/m2/ - World Medical Assembly, 1992, World Medical Association Statement on Medical Malpractice [English]
Publications
Bulgaru Iliescu D., Bălan G., 2015, Răspunderea juridică medicală în România: malpraxisul şi infracţiunile medicale, Hamangiu [Romanian]
Calin R., 2014, Malpraxis. Raspunderea medicului si a furnizorilor de servicii medicale, Hamangiu [Romanian]
Giesen D., 1988, International Medical Malpractice Law: a comparative law study of civil liability arising from medical care, Boston: J.C.B. Mohr [English]
Kaiafa-Gbanti M., 2013, Medical liability due to negligence, Athens, Nomiki Vivliothiki [Greek]
Merry A., 2001, Errors, medicine and the law, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press [English]
Penneau J., 1973, Faute et erreur en matière de responsabilité médicale, Paris : Librairie générale de droit et de jurisprudence [French]
Penneau J., 1996, La responsabilité du médecin, Paris, Dalloz [French]
Sage W.M., Kersh R., 2006, Medical Malpractice and the U.S. Health Care System, Cambridge University Press [English]