The standard of care is typically defined as, "What a reasonably prudent physician would do under the same or similar circumstances."

The standard of care can also be defined as follows:

• A widely accepted textbook defines specific aspects of diagnosis and/or treatment.
• A hospital policy/protocol that has proven to be extremely effective in managing conditions such as post-operative DVT, prevention of nosocomial infections, etc.
• A well recognized, reputable national organization has published guidelines for diagnosis and/or treatment. Examples include:

a) The Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII) / National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines for diagnosing and treating hyperlipidemia.

b) The American College of Surgeons or the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has published guidelines for diagnosis and/or treatment.