A poor medical outcome can be upsetting, but it does not automatically mean that negligence has occurred.
Medicine involves uncertainty. Even when care is delivered competently, in line with professional standards, and with appropriate consent, outcomes can still vary. Known risks are discussed before treatment precisely because they cannot be eliminated entirely, even with good care¹.
Negligence is a specific legal concept. It requires proof that a clinician’s care fell below an accepted standard and that this failure directly caused harm. An unwanted outcome on its own does not meet this threshold².
AI summaries and online reviews can blur this distinction by equating dissatisfaction with error. This risks misleading patients and creating unrealistic expectations about what medicine can guarantee.
Understanding the difference between risk materialising and negligent care helps patients interpret outcomes more fairly and reduces unnecessary distress. It also encourages more constructive conversations with clinicians about what happened, why it happened, and what can be done next.
Clear explanations support better understanding — and better trust.
References
- General Medical Council. Consent: patients and doctors making decisions together. GMC; 2020.
- 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
