Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health

The true meaning of the term “the standard of care” is a frequent topic of discussion among emergency physicians as they evaluate and perform care on patients. This article, using legal cases and dictums, reviews the legal history and definitions of the standard of care. The goal is to provide the working physician with a practical and useful model of the standard of care to help guide daily practice. [West J Emerg Med. 2011;12(1):109-112.]