When the physician failed to give the patient the lips of the famous actress she requested, the physician engaged in which of the following?

A breach of contract occurs when one party fails to meet the terms of a binding agreement. In healthcare, a contract is typically implied, where the physician agrees to provide a certain standard of care. However, if a physician makes an express promise or guarantees a specific outcome—such as providing the lips of a famous actress—this creates an express contract. The failure to deliver on this specific, promised result constitutes a breach of that express contract, which is a separate legal claim from medical negligence or malpractice.

A. Slander: This is incorrect because slander is a form of defamation involving a false spoken statement that harms another's reputation. The scenario does not describe any spoken defamation.
C. Libel: This is incorrect because libel is a form of defamation involving a false written statement. The scenario does not involve any written defamation.
D. Invasion of privacy: This is incorrect as it involves the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information or intrusion into a patient's private affairs, which did not occur in this scenario.

1. Sayles, N. B., & Trawick, M. I. (2021). Sayles' Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health Information Management (5th ed.). AHIMA Press. In Chapter 3, "The Legal Framework," the section on "Contracts" explains that while most physician-patient relationships are implied contracts, an express contract is formed if a physician promises a particular outcome. Failure to achieve that outcome is a breach of contract (pp. 60-61).

2. American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). (2020). Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice (6th ed.). AHIMA Press. Chapter 4, "Legal Issues in Health Information Management," discusses contract law, noting that a physician's guarantee of a cure or specific result can create an express contract, and failure to fulfill that promise can lead to a breach of contract lawsuit (p. 103).