Concept of Autonomy- Project Report

AUTONOMY 1
THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTONOMY
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AUTONOMY 2
Introduction
The evolution of the concept of autonomy can be traced back to ancient Greece, which is a
period in which cities defended the ideas of freedom and sovereignty from being interfered with
by foreign powers. Therefore, autonomy implies self-ownership, self-determination, and self-
rule. Autonomy is regarded as one of the central concept in healthcare ethics. Indeed, it has
become so dominant that the other four principles of healthcare ethics (beneficence,
confidentiality, beneficence, and nonmaleficence) much depend on respect for autonomy.
Respect for autonomy can be rightfully acknowledged to be the first among equals. Therefore,
autonomy has a central place in the network of the other four moral principles that are essential
in health care work. In healthcare, the patient’s autonomy is a critical factor in enhancing patient
safety and the provision of quality services. Recognition of the vulnerability of autonomy in
healthcare contexts leads to its inclusion as a vital issue in healthcare ethics. The principle of
autonomy mainly deals with permitting and enabling the patients to make their own personal
decisions about which healthcare interventions should be conducted to them and which ones
should not. Obstacles that can influence the decision making capability of a patient are viewed
as a serious concern in healthcare. Such obstacles include mental disability, immaturity,
dementia, and inadequate information. This article aims to discuss autonomy, how it may be
understood critically, and the relationship between the principle of autonomy and other
healthcare ethical principles.
Understanding the principle of autonomy
It can be argued that the principle of autonomy is the most central ethical principle in healthcare.
This is because it helps in shaping the other basic aspects like refusal/informed consent, and it is
used in articulating several significant obligations, rights, and responsibilities, for instance, those

AUTONOMY 3
concerning questions of medical paternalism. Healthcare providers have an obligation of
remaining respectful and compassionate of patients, and hence they should ensure adequate
adherence to the ethical principles. One of the ethical principle is autonomy; autonomy is
significantly essential since it offers the patients a sense of personal authority even in
circumstances where they are at the very least of their health or if their lives are no longer under
their control (Delgado, 2019). Autonomy, in the context of healthcare, gives the patient and
often their family the final decision regarding the course of treatment. The principle of autonomy
is more significant, especially when in deliberations of legal requirements whereby the patient
has to offer consent to treatment. Also, enhancing patient’s autonomy is very important in the
healthcare settings. Respecting the patient’s autonomy within the health care settings is
positively associated with patient’s feelings of relatedness, competence, and autonomy in
relation to the target behavior. The satisfaction of the three factors (relatedness, competence, and
autonomy) helps in improving the patient's wellbeing, including improving their physical and
mental health (Sharon, 2017).
Many researchers have supported the idea that the principle of autonomy is the most significant
of all healthcare ethics. Hence, autonomy should be regarded as an essential ethical principle,
and in a circumstance whereby there is a contradiction between autonomy and other ethical
principles, autonomy ought to be sovereign. This is because autonomy is equated with
responsibility, Individuality, self-knowledge, and independence. It is usually identified with the
capability for critical reflection, knowledge of one’s own interest, qualities of self-assertion, and
freedom from obligation. Autonomy is regarded as the central ethical principle within the
healthcare setting. Patients ought to be allowed to decide on the type of treatment they need to
receive. This creates room for enhancing free will and enhancing accountability (Taylor, 2018).

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The principle of autonomy holds that a healthcare professional is not allowed to administer
treatment to a patient without the consent of the patient. This excludes situations whereby the
patient is incompetent, or it is needed in order to avoid harm to others.
Autonomy has a central place in the network of moral principles that underpin health care work.
Every adult individual who is in a good state of mind has the right to determine what should be
done in his/her body. It is significant to take into consideration the fact that autonomy gives the
patient the right to refuse treatment but not to demand treatment (Johnson et al., 2018). In
modern-day healthcare jurisprudence, the patient’s action of refusing treatment has been upheld
as legally enforceable even in cases where the refusal may result in death or harming the patient
health. The refusal of treatment has in most instances, been recorded among people who are
strong-minded and articulate guided by convictions or religious. For instance, a person from
Jehovah’s Witness may refuse to undertake a blood transfusion on the ground that such a
practice is forbidden by the Bible. In such situations, the principle of respecting autonomy
surpasses other competing principles like the sanctity for life. However, the concept of
autonomy is only limited to capable patients. Available research indicates that a person with
mental health complications and refuses to undertake treatment in high-risk cases and conditions
will be deemed incapable. In such cases, healthcare professionals should handle the issue, and
they ought to act in the best interest of the incapacitated patient. But there is no clear guidelines
or conceptual model on how to deal with incapacitated patients (Moeke and van Andel, 2016).
Autonomy forms the backbone of modern-day healthcare provision practices. This principle
postulates that patients have the capability to make decisions on themselves regarding their
health (Widdershoven, Voskes, and Ruissen, 2017). Patients offer a path on which healthcare
professionals should follow while offering services to them. The healthcare providers may offer