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# negative patient outcome

phrase (noun phrase: a negative patient outcome, negative patient outcomes); medical jargon

«negative patient outcome» in the English dictionary: in the primary school — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## In the primary school

Source: Mova's pupils' dictionary. Licence: [Elamur Cosmic License](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/LICENSE/). Reviewed: the dictionary the pupils of Mova's primary school read; its examples quote the lessons and public-domain tales. Ships with Mova.

### Meaning

1. (euphemism, jargon) the patient died.
2. (technical) any bad result of treatment, such as harm, getting worse or death.

### In the lessons

Used in hospital reports, medical papers and legal documents to talk about a patient's death or harm in neutral, distant words, partly to avoid blame. Jargon register, mainly USA, also other countries in medical writing. Never used to comfort a family.

### Examples

- The report listed two negative patient outcomes after the operation.
- «Negative patient outcome» — that's how the hospital wrote that he died.
- Better hand-washing reduced negative patient outcomes on the ward.
- The lawyer asked whether the delay caused the negative patient outcome.
- Nurses joked darkly about the phrase, calling it the ultimate negative patient outcome.
- The study measured negative patient outcomes such as infections and deaths.

### Note

It often hides the plain word «death» and can sound cold and heartless if said to relatives. In some papers it means harm, not death, so read the context. Plain words: died, death, harm.