Which ethical/legal concept is illustrated by the existence of a doctor-patient relationship?

• A. Duty
• B. Contract
• C. Tort
• D. Fiduciary duty

Answer: (A)

A doctor-patient relationship establishes a professional duty. Once care is undertaken, the clinician is obligated to provide competent care, protect patient welfare, maintain confidentiality, and obtain informed consent. This duty stems from professional norms and the trust patients place in their clinicians, and it can arise even without a formal contract—there is often an implied duty simply by the act of agreeing to receive medical care. If this duty is breached, legal liability can follow under negligence (a tort), but the existence of the relationship itself is what creates the duty. Fiduciary duties can accompany some relationships, but they represent a higher, more stringent trust-based obligation and are not the basic concept illustrated by a typical doctor-patient relationship.