Autonomy Overrides Professional Obligations! An Ethical Analysis

Abstract

Autonomy is considered the prime principle in medical ethics. Health care providers (HCP’s) are obligated to respect patients’ autonomy in almost every situation. Even if patients’ take decisions that poses could threat their life. It is especially challengeable in case of children where the key decision-makers are parents. This paper identifies such conditions in which there is a conflict between the parents’ autonomy to make decisions on behalf of their child and beneficence to improve children's health. A question arises with this situation on that, is it right to respect parent's autonomy or not, but HCP’s are committed to do in the best interest of their patients.