Patient Autonomy Research Paper

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The Importance of Patient Autonomy in Medical Ethics Patient autonomy and respecting a patient’s right to make his or her own decisions is undoubtedly a very important point to consider when thinking about medical ethics. I strongly believe patients should have the right to make their own decisions about their own bodies, provided that it will not harm anyone else. As a nursing student myself, I understand the importance of respecting patient autonomy. This paper will construct an argument to emphasize the importance of patient autonomy in all health care settings. It will argue that respecting patient autonomy contributes to achieving the patient’s health outcomes and health goals, and to improving patient satisfaction. Furthermore, this paper will use three models of health care provider/patient relationships to help emphasize the importance of patient autonomy and will provide refutations to counter-arguments.
Achieving Health Outcomes and Goals …show more content…

According to Guy (2012), supporting patient autonomy and their psychological needs is necessary to health care providers in helping patients achieve their health goals and outcomes. Every patient a health care provider will encounter during their practice is unique, with different preferences. That being said, every patient will have different health outcomes and goals that they wish to attain. A physician by the name of Eddy who respects patient autonomy believes that the only preferences that count are the patients, as they are the ones who will have to live or die with the outcomes (Charles, Whelan, & Gaffni, 1999). According to Eddy, provided that a patient is accurately informed regarding the outcomes, he or she should not be convinced to change her mind about treatment (Charles et al.,

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