The Domain of Autonomy, Limitations and Solutions

Yavari, Neda; Parsapoor, Alireza

Volume 10 - IJMEHM 2017, 10 - : 182-197 | Back to browse issues page

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Yavari N, Parsapoor A. The Domain of Autonomy, Limitations and Solutions. IJMEHM 2017; 10 :182-197
URL: http://ijme.tums.ac.ir/article-1-5863-en.html

The Domain of Autonomy, Limitations and Solutions

Neda Yavari¹

, Alireza Parsapoor ^*

1- Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2- Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , : aliparsa@tums.ac.ir

Abstract: (9169 Views)

Increasing attention to individual liberties in last decades, has led to considering respect to patients autonomy and involvement in making medical decisions as a critical ethical principle. In spite of a general emphasis on the Importance of the mentioned principle, there is a wide controversy about the logical limitations of respect to patients' wishes and preferences in medical decision making. While a significant number of theoreticians believe in necessity of considering rigid limitations for respect to patients' autonomy, others emphasize on respect to patients' absolute and unconditional right of self-determination. This article explains and analyzes each group's main arguments and finally suggests a functional and logical approach to the principle. This method helps avoidance of disadvantages of unconditional respect to patients' preferences while considering autonomy as an important ethical maxim.

Keywords: Limited autonomy, Absolut autonomy, Beneficence, Shared decision making

Full-Text [PDF 4872 kb] (1713 Downloads)

Type of Study: Review | Subject: Medical Ethics
Received: 2017/01/26 | Accepted: 2018/01/21 | Published: 2018/03/17