What is the primary ethical principle ensuring all patients have the right to make their own healthcare decisions?

The principle of autonomy is fundamental in healthcare ethics, as it emphasizes the right of individuals to make informed choices about their own medical care. Autonomy recognizes the importance of personal self-determination and the capacity of patients to make decisions grounded in their values, beliefs, and preferences. It is essential for healthcare professionals to respect and support a patient's right to participate in their treatment options, ensuring that they have access to all necessary information to make informed decisions about their health.

This principle sets the foundation for informed consent, whereby patients must be adequately informed about their condition and possible treatment alternatives before proceeding with any medical intervention. By fostering an environment where patients feel empowered to express their wishes and preferences, healthcare providers honor their autonomy and foster trust in the provider-patient relationship.

While beneficence focuses on the obligation to act in the best interest of the patient, empathy involves understanding and sharing the feelings of others, which supports a patient's autonomy rather than replacing it. Fidelity refers to the obligation of healthcare providers to keep promises and maintain trust, but it also does not encompass the vital aspect of self-determination that autonomy upholds. Therefore, autonomy is the correct answer as it encapsulates the essence of a patient's right to make their own healthcare decisions.