What is the difference between assault and battery in a healthcare context?

• A. Assault is the actual harmful touching; battery is the threat of harm.
• B. Assault is the threat or attempt of harmful contact; battery is the actual harmful contact or touching.
• C. Assault and battery are the same in medical practice.
• D. Assault refers to legal consequences; battery refers to ethical considerations only.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that assault involves a threat or attempt to cause harmful contact, while battery is the actual harmful touching. In healthcare, you must have patient consent before touching or performing a procedure. If a clinician raises a needle and threatens to inject, that could be assault—even if nothing is actually done. If the clinician actually injects or performs a procedure without consent, that’s battery. A legitimate medical act with proper consent isn’t battery. The other options confuse the definitions or misstate the relationship, and they ignore the crucial role of consent in distinguishing these harms.