The word autonomy is derived from the Greek autos, which mean “self”, and nomos “rule” where it is originally referred to the self-rule or self-governance of independent city-states. Autonomy is the right to determine one’s own actions, behaviors and it is a position of freedom but not all freedom is autonomy. For example, it’s easier for the self-employed to accomplish the need for autonomy than for other workers. In health care, the right of patients to make decisions about their medical care without their health care provider trying to affect the decision. Patient autonomy will allow for health care providers to inform or educate the patient but does not allow the health care provider to make decision for the patients. Autonomy is important for medical ethics because every patient or human being of sound mind has a right to determine what should be done with his own body whether refuse or accept the procedure that doctors offer to patients. Informed consent is the process by which the health care provider tells or discloses appropriate information to a patient so that the patient can make a choice to accept or refuse the treatment. The goal or the purpose of having informed consent is to prove that the patient have been fully informed of available treatment options and their risks and benefits. Informed consent relates to the principle of respect autonomy because the health care provider must take his or her time to explain every single detail of the procedure to the patient before operating on the patient. A health care provider must answer all the questions given by the patient and respect their views, decisions and rights so long as their thoughts and actions do not seriously harm other persons.
A health care provider should always respect the individuals’ autonomy and their informed consent. However, there are moral problems raised by informed consent.