The Importance Of Respect For Autonomy

Respect for Autonomy – Respect the patient’s right to make their own decisions. Provide patients with information needed to make an independent and educated medical decision. Autonomy requires that medical professionals provide all the information needed for an informed consent, withholding absolutely no information.
Technology has allowed patients more access for information after diagnosis. Physicians are able to refer patients to articles, provide pamphlets, or provide information through web sites about risks, outcomes, and other useful patient care information.
Example: An online physician provides medical advice through a message board. Is the physician capable of providing all the information needed for informed consent? Is the Respect

for Autonomy ethic attainable on the internet?
Non-maleficence – Physician and healthcare professionals should not inflict harm on their patients. When faced with a tough decision, the lesser of two evils should be chosen. Sometimes it may be impossible not to harm a patient, in this case – the best option should be chosen.
Example: A new technology is produced to treat breast cancer. While the technology may be beneficial, the side effects and risks are severe. The physician must inform the patient of the risks, evaluate the patient and decide whether the new technology would cause more harm to the patient’s current state.
Beneficence – Physician and healthcare professionals must act in the best interest of the patient. Technology has affected beneficence in several ways, new brain scanning technology allows physicians and surgeons to see a mass from all angles, to better assist in the removal of the mass if needed.
Example: A new technology has recently become available for mass removal, but it may not be suitable for the patient. The physician must follow the Beneficence ethic and use the new technology only if it will be beneficial to the patient.
Justice – Medical resources should be distributed equally among the population. New technological medical advances are expensive, it is important that they are equally distributed among all social classes.
Example: The same technology mentioned earlier (capable of 3D scanning) is available. However, the service and medical charges are expensive, making it unavailable to middle and lower class. This is against the medical ethical of Justice, due to the lack of equal distribution among the population.