One of the fundamental tenets of medical practise is “not to expose patients to excessive risk,” which places an emphasis on the need of putting patient safety first and avoiding causing unnecessary damage. This concept directs healthcare practitioners to make judgements and perform activities that lessen the likelihood of patients being harmed as a result of their decisions and actions.
The term “undue risk” refers to dangers that may be avoided or are not required, and which are not compensated for by the possibility of receiving some gain. It is the duty of healthcare practitioners to do thorough risk and benefit analyses of any procedures or treatments that they advise their patients to undergo and to settle on courses of action that put the patient’s safety first.
For instance, a healthcare professional may decide not to use a certain therapy or intervention if there is a high possibility that the patient would be harmed by it, or if there is a little chance that the patient may benefit from it, or if the possible advantages are unknown. In a similar vein, they could suggest an alternative plan of action for the patient that has a lower potential for adverse effects.
To summarise, the principle of “not to expose patients to undue risk” means that healthcare providers have a responsibility to prioritise patient safety and avoid unnecessary harm, as well as to make decisions and take actions that minimise the risk of harm being caused to patients. In addition, they must avoid exposing patients to risks that are unreasonably high.
