What is defined as battery in a healthcare setting?

In a healthcare setting, battery is defined as the act of providing treatment or performing a procedure on a patient without their consent. This involves touching or administering care that the patient has not agreed to or authorized, regardless of the intentions behind it or the outcome of the action. Consent is a crucial element in healthcare, ensuring that patients have the right to make informed choices about their care and treatment options. When consent is not obtained, it not only breaches ethical standards but also legal boundaries, constituting battery.

The other options describe different issues in a healthcare context but do not fit the legal definition of battery. Verbal abuse involves using harmful or demeaning language towards a patient, which is a form of emotional or psychological harm rather than physical contact. Failing to record patient information pertains to negligence and inadequate documentation, affecting continuity of care. Disclosing patient information wrongfully relates to privacy violations and breaches of confidentiality, which can have legal implications but does not involve physical contact or treatment.