Patient Autonomy Research Paper

The concept of patient autonomy is directly linked to the concept of patient choice. According to Beauchamp and Childress (1994) autonomous patients are capable of understanding and acting intentionally without controlling influences or manipulation. Intrinsic in the principle of autonomy is the right to self determination on which is anchored the idea that an individual is entitled to make decisions about their current treatment as well as about any future treatment for when they become incapacitated. For mental health patients this right is protected through the introduction advance statements (NICE, 2005), advance directives and advance decisions. Though often used interchangeably there are clearly differences between the three. An advance