Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Torts I

Torts I

Torts in nursing are wrongful acts that can harm patients and potentially lead to civil liability for the involved nurse. These wrongful acts range from unintentional errors to deliberate actions. Depending on the nature and severity of the tort, a nurse found liable may face financial penalties or disciplinary actions. Understanding the distinctions between intentional, quasi-intentional, and unintentional torts is crucial for nurses to mitigate risks and provide safe patient care.
Intentional...

Torts III

Torts III

Types of Quasi-intentional Torts in Healthcare
Quasi-intentional torts in healthcare involve acts where intent is not directed to harm an individual but results in harm due to careless or reckless speech.

Nurses' Legal Responsibilities II

Nurses' Legal Responsibilities II

Establishing a secure, collaborative nurse-patient relationship is crucial for delivering high-quality care. This relationship, founded on trust, respect, and honesty, enhances the patient's comfort and willingness to share vital health information. For example, a nurse who listens actively and without judgment provides clear information about health conditions and treatment options and respects patient decisions, which builds a trusting relationship.
Communication between nurses and patients...

Standards of Care I

Standards of Care I

Federal statutes profoundly impact nursing practice, providing critical guidelines to ensure patient care is equitable, accessible, and of the highest quality. The following laws address distinct aspects of healthcare provision and patient rights:

Nurses' Legal Responsibilities I

Nurses' Legal Responsibilities I

In healthcare, informed consent is a crucial process that involves thoroughly communicating medical treatment options to patients, including benefits, risks, potential side effects, and alternatives. This process enables patients to make well-informed decisions about their care, ensuring they understand the implications of their choices before consenting to or refusing treatment.
The legal responsibilities of a nurse regarding informed consent include the following:

Nurses' Legal Responsibilities III

Nurses' Legal Responsibilities III

Nurse-to-nurse relationships are legally required to adhere to professional standards, ensuring a respectful and positive working environment. Professional conduct demands that nurses treat all colleagues respectfully and courteously, fostering a productive, supportive workplace. Nurses must actively eliminate bullying, discrimination, and harassment to maintain a safe and inclusive environment.
Cultivating a culture of collaboration and mutual respect among nurses transcends mere enhancement...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Access to Specialty Cancer Care and Plan Disenrollment Among Medicare Beneficiaries.

JAMA network open·2026

Same author

Homicide Risk During 10-Day Waiting Period Among First-Time Handgun Purchasers in California.

JAMA internal medicine·2026

Same author

Diabetes, Dementia, and Disruptions in Health Care Use in 2020 for Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries.

The Journal of ambulatory care management·2026

Same author

Factors Associated With Initial Type of Long-Term Services and Supports Among Dual-Eligible Beneficiaries.

Journal of the American Medical Directors Association·2026

Same author

Identifying Dual-Eligible Beneficiaries With Long-Term Services and Supports Use in Medicare Enrollment Data.

Medical care research and review : MCRR·2025

Same author

Nursing Home Surveyor and Survey Team Characteristics Across States.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Does litigation increase or decrease health care quality?: a national study of negligence claims against nursing

David G Stevenson¹, Matthew J Spittal, David M Studdert

¹Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. stevenson@hcp.med.harvard.edu

|April 5, 2013

Summary

Tort litigation does not improve nursing home quality and may slightly decrease it. Studies show litigation costs are inversely related to quality performance, with minimal statistically significant effects.

Related Experiment Videos

Area of Science:

Health Services Research
Medical Malpractice Law
Geriatric Care Quality

Background:

The tort system's impact on healthcare quality and safety is debated.
Previous research on litigation's effect on care quality is largely ecological.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine if nursing home litigation experience and costs influence subsequent care quality.
Assessing the relationship between malpractice claims and delivered care standards.

Main Methods:

Linked 6,471 negligence claims (1998-2010) to quality indicators from US national datasets for 1,514 nursing homes.
Analyzed associations between litigation variables (payments, costs, paid claims) and 9 quality measures.
Adjusted for baseline quality, case-mix, ownership, occupancy, year, and facility/state random effects.

Main Results:

Most analyses showed an inverse relationship between litigation costs and nursing home quality.
Few associations were statistically significant, and effect sizes were very small.
A doubling of indemnity payments correlated with a slight increase in deficiencies and pressure ulcer rates.

Conclusions:

Tort litigation does not enhance nursing home quality performance.
Litigation may be associated with a slight decrease in nursing home quality.