This is a blanket term for harm to a patient that results from medical care or a failure to provide appropriate care. It usually refers to physical harm but may also apply to psychological or even financial harm.
The HHS Office of the Inspector General defines patient harm as any harm to a patient as a result of medical care or in a health care setting, including the failure to provide needed care. According to the HHS Office of the Inspector General, the term refers collectively to adverse events and temporary harm events.
Less understood are emotional harms that patients and their families may experience due to a medical error.