Medico-Legal Case Management by Nursing Staff in Indian Healthcare Settings: A Review

Abstract

Medico-legal cases (MLCs) constitute an important component of healthcare services in India, requiring healthcare professionals to adhere to legal, ethical, and professional standards while delivering patient care. Nurses are often the first healthcare personnel to interact with patients involved in medico-legal incidents such as road traffic accidents, assaults, poisoning, burns, sexual offences, occupational injuries, and suspected criminal cases. Effective medico-legal case management demands accurate documentation, preservation of evidence, timely reporting, informed consent, maintenance of confidentiality, and coordination with law enforcement agencies. Nursing staff play a crucial role in ensuring that legal requirements are fulfilled without compromising patient care. However, inadequate knowledge, insufficient training, heavy workload, and fear of legal consequences may adversely affect medico-legal practices among nurses. This review examines the concept of medico-legal cases, legal responsibilities of nursing personnel, documentation requirements, challenges encountered in Indian healthcare settings, and strategies to strengthen medico-legal competencies among nurses. The review highlights the need for continuous education, standardized protocols, and interdisciplinary collaboration to improve medico-legal case management and ensure patient safety and legal compliance.