A medical doctor can be liable when a parent refuses consent for an examination of a child believed to be abused and the doctor conducts it. For what can the doctor be liable?

• A. Criminal assault
• B. Medical negligence
• C. Breach of patient confidentiality
• D. Defamation

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is the physician’s duty to obtain valid consent before examining a child. A parent or guardian normally has the authority to consent to or refuse medical examinations for a minor. If the parent refuses and there is no emergency or legal order, proceeding with the examination without consent breaches the standard of care. That breach constitutes medical negligence because the doctor failed to meet the required duty to obtain informed consent and to act within accepted medical practice.

Breach of patient confidentiality, defamation, or criminal assault aren’t focused on the physician’s failure to obtain consent and the resulting standard-of-care violation in this scenario. While unauthorized touching could raise concerns about assault in some contexts, the most appropriate professional liability here is negligence tied to improper conduct due to lack of consent.