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

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

Answer: (D)

Respect for a patient's autonomy means honoring their right to make decisions about their own care, including the choice to refuse treatment. When a patient has decision-making capacity—which means they can understand information, appreciate consequences, reason about options, and communicate a clear choice—their preferences guide what happens next, even if refusing care could lead to harm. Beneficence focuses on acting in the patient’s best interest, and nonmaleficence is about avoiding harm, but neither alone overrides a competent patient’s right to decide. Justice deals with fairness in resource distribution and rights, not the individual decision to accept or decline treatment. If capacity is in question, surrogate decision-makers or advance directives come into play to respect the patient’s values.