Final answer:
The legal concept relevant to Dr. Smith's failure to prescribe appropriate treatment is known as medical malpractice, which occurs when a healthcare provider does not meet the required standard of care. The principle of nonmaleficence is also related, emphasizing that healthcare providers should avoid causing harm to patients.
Step-by-step explanation:
The legal concept that may be applied when Dr. Smith failed to prescribe the appropriate treatment that would have been prescribed by any other physician in a similar situation is known as medical malpractice. Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider deviates from the recognized "standard of care" in the treatment of a patient. The 'standard of care' is defined as what a reasonably prudent medical provider would or would not have done under the same or similar circumstances. Essentially, it looks at whether the provider was negligent.
The principle behind this concept is known as nonmaleficence, which dictates that healthcare providers should not harm the patient. Therefore, when harm is caused because the healthcare provider acted in a way that is contrary to this standard, this principle has been violated, potentially resulting in harm or injury to the patient.
Furthermore, one may consider the ethical implications under the Act and Rule Utilitarianism approaches, both of which aim to maximize happiness but may differ in their application to such medical scenarios. Questions concerning liability, such as whether healthcare workers be held liable for strictly following a flawed procedure or the role of government in ensuring fail-safe medical protocols and equipment usage, also play crucial roles in discussions of medical malpractice.