Is the following an example of (A) precision, or (B) accuracy?

Question

The National Health Act No. 61 of 2003 says that a doctor is guilty of culpable homicide if they deviated from their duty of care. Duty of care is defined in the Medical Professionals’ Code of Conduct (2019) as enacted by the South African Medical Association as “a moral or legal obligation to ensure the safety or well-being of others”.


(A) Precision


(B) Accuracy

Answer 1

The information provided in your example pertains to a legal and ethical standard in medicine regarding a doctor's responsibility to ensure patient safety and well-being.

To determine whether this is an example of (A) precision or (B) accuracy, we need to clarify their meanings:

• Precision refers to the consistency and exactness of a measurement or statement. It is about how detailed and specific the information is.
• Accuracy refers to how true or correct a statement or measurement is. It is about how closely a measurement or description matches the actual or true value.

In this context, the definition provided from the National Health Act and the Medical Professionals’ Code of Conduct characterizes and clarifies the concept of "duty of care." This implies an accurate representation of what constitutes a doctor's legal and moral obligations towards patient safety.

Given this understanding, the example is best categorized under (B) Accuracy, as it accurately describes legal and ethical responsibilities of doctors.