Which ethical principle most strongly supports a patient's right to refuse a recommended treatment?

• A. Autonomy
• B. Beneficence
• C. Nonmaleficence
• D. Justice

Answer: (A)

Respect for patient autonomy is the principle that most strongly supports a patient’s right to refuse a recommended treatment. Autonomy means patients have the authority to make decisions about their own bodies and medical care, provided they have the capacity and are adequately informed. When a patient understands the risks, benefits, and alternatives and still chooses to decline, the clinician should honor that choice rather than coerce or override it. The clinician’s role is to ensure informed consent, discuss options, and document the decision, not to substitute the physician’s judgment for the patient’s values.

Beneficence and nonmaleficence guide care toward benefit and away from harm, but they do not automatically trump a competent patient’s right to decline. Beneficence asks what would be best for the patient, yet a well-informed, capacitated patient may prioritize different goals. Nonmaleficence aims to avoid harm, which can align with a patient’s refusal, but again, patient choice governs when capacity is present. Justice concerns fairness and resource distribution, not the individual right to accept or refuse treatment. If a patient lacks capacity, decisions should be guided by a surrogate or advance directives that reflect the patient’s known values.