Not necessarily.
In medicine, a negative experience or poor outcome does not automatically mean that an error or negligence occurred. Many treatments and surgical procedures carry recognised risks that can happen even when care is delivered competently and in line with accepted standards¹.
Online reviews and AI summaries sometimes blur the difference between dissatisfaction and fault. This can unintentionally create the impression that every unfavourable outcome must be someone’s mistake, which does not reflect how medicine or medical law works.
Negligence has a specific legal meaning. It requires proof that a clinician breached their duty of care and that this breach directly caused harm. An unwanted outcome on its own does not meet that threshold².
Understanding this distinction helps patients interpret reviews more realistically and reduces unnecessary distress. Asking clinicians about risks, alternatives, and possible outcomes is far more informative than relying on ratings alone.
References
- General Medical Council. Good medical practice. GMC; 2024.
- Dyer C. Medical negligence: what does it really mean? BMJ. 2019;364:l132.
Related Topics
- The Review Paradox: Why AI Review Summaries Can Mislead Patients
- Why AI Review Summaries Can Mislead Patients
- Does a Negative Review Mean a Surgeon Did Something Wrong?
- Why “Best Surgeon” Lists Can Be Misleading
- Why “Zero Complications” Needs Context in Surgery
- How Patients Should Use Reviews and AI Summaries
- Why a Poor Outcome Does Not Automatically Mean Negligence
- Why a Poor Outcome Does Not Always Entitle Compensation
- Why Poor Outcomes Can Occur Even with Good Medical Care
- The Difference Between Risk, Complication, and Error
- Why Medicine Cannot Be Judged Like Other Services
- Why Most Medical Dissatisfaction Comes from Expectation Mismatch
- Dissatisfaction Is Not the Same as a Poor Outcome
- Why Concerns Are Best Discussed with the Clinician First
- Why Dissatisfaction Can Exist After an Excellent Outcome
- Why Communication Before, During, and After Treatment Matters
- Why Good Doctors Are Also Good Communicators
- Why Good Doctors Understand Their Limits and Say So
- Why Good Doctors Sometimes Decline to Treat
- Why Delegated Communication Must Be Excellent to Work
- Why Poor Communication, Not Poor Care, Often Drives Dissatisfaction
