'''Medical advice''' is the provision of a formal professional opinion regarding what a specific individual should or should not do to restore or preserve health.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health Information Management|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Pw-dBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA164|publisher = Cengage Learning|date = 2014-12-31|isbn = 9781305686328|language = en|first = Dana|last = McWay|pages = 164, 430}}</ref> Typically, medical advice involves giving a diagnosis and/or prescribing a treatment for medical condition.<ref>[http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=View%20Statutes&SubMenu=1&App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=practicing+medicine&URL=CH0458/Sec305.HTM Florida state statute]</ref> Medical advice is not the same as personal advice even if the advice concerns medical care.<ref>{{Cite news |last=The General Medical Council |author-link=General Medical Council |date=13 December 2024 |title=The dialogue leading to a decision (part 1 of 4) |url=https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/decision-making-and-consent/the-dialogue-leading-to-a-decision |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250818055651/https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/decision-making-and-consent/the-dialogue-leading-to-a-decision |archive-date=2025-08-18 |access-date=2025-09-14 |language=en}}</ref>{{cn|date=May 2025}}
== Doctor–patient relationship == In industrializd countries, medical advice is given in the context of a doctor–patient relationship.{{cn|date=May 2025}} A licensed health care professional can be held legally liable for the advice he or she gives to a patient. Giving bad advice may be considered medical malpractice under specified circumstances.
The doctor–patient relationship is one factor in determining the patient's compliance with medical advice.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title = Health Psychology: An Introduction to Behavior and Health|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=NfCDR_Yl7f0C|publisher = Cengage Learning|date = 2009-03-19|isbn = 978-0495601326|language = en|first1 = Linda|last1 = Brannon|first2 = Jess|last2 = Feist|pages = 86–88}}</ref> Patients adhere more closely to medical advice when the healthcare provider is friendly, doesn't interrupt the patient, or has good verbal communication skills.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.healthecareers.com/article/career/8-vital-traits-every-allied-health-professional-should-have|title=8 Vital Traits Every Allied Health Professional Should Have|last=eCareers|first=Health|website=www.healthecareers.com|language=en|access-date=2017-03-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322015822/https://www.healthecareers.com/article/career/8-vital-traits-every-allied-health-professional-should-have|archive-date=2017-03-22|url-status=dead}}</ref> Patients are less likely to comply with medical advice if the advice is not what the patients expected, if the patients do not agree with the proposed treatment, if the patient is not confident in the provider's competence, or if the patient cannot understand what the provider says due to language barriers or overuse of medical jargon. Patients are also less likely to comply with medical advice if the healthcare provider seems disrespectful of the patient or appears to hold negative stereotypes of the patients' race, class, or other characteristics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/26/health/doctors-discrimination-racism/index.html|title=Racism in medicine: An 'open secret'|author=Jacqueline Howard|website=CNN|date=26 October 2016 |access-date=2017-03-21}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
==Difference to medical information== Medical advice can be distinguished from medical information, which is the relation of facts.{{cn|date=May 2025}}
Medical information pertaining to an individual is called protected health information.
Discussing medical information is considered a fundamental free speech right and is not considered medical advice.{{cn|date=May 2025}}
==See also== * Physician * Against medical advice * Duty of care * Standard of care * Scope of practice * Medical direction * Legal advice
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Legal terminology Category:Medical terminology Category:Advice (opinion)
{{law-term-stub}}