Abstract
One of the ethical dilemmas in healthcare is the issue of patients’ autonomy and the principle of informed consent. Patient autonomy represents the essential right of an individual experiencing illness to make informed decisions regarding the type, extent, and methods of treatment they wish to receive from a qualified healthcare provider. This right can only be exercised when the patient is mentally competent and conscious enough to evaluate and choose the specifics of their medical care, and they must also be provided with comprehensive and adequate information about all aspects, procedures, advantages, and potential risks associated with the treatment being proposed. Therefore, informed consent serves as the cornerstone and prerequisite that enables patient autonomy. The ongoing ethical focus on the individuality of patient autonomy has raised questions regarding the utilitarian and situational interests of family and the broader community as they navigate medical issues. This study explored the personal and societal/utilitarian considerations in medical treatments that rely heavily on informed consent with the viewpoint that healthcare professionals should never treat patients against their wishes by striking a balance on the recommendations that patients’ autonomy can be overridden as far as there are justifiable rational grounds for such decisions. A qualitative research approach was used for the investigation and the data sourced was analyzed using the analytical, hermeneutical, historical and evaluative method. The study concluded that to maintain respect for patient autonomy, minimize the risk of unprofessional behavior, foster trust between patients and caregivers, and protect patients against unethical practices, adherence to informed consent and patient autonomy is essential through the careful scrutiny of both the patient and the professional ethical practices which informs the medical decision making.
Keywords: Patient Autonomy, Informed Consent, Medical Paternalism, Situation Ethics, Utilitarianism.
Author name(s):
Cindy Anene Ezeugwu
Department of Theatre and Film Studies University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Ezema Jane Chekwube
General Studies Unit MadukaUniversity, EkwegbeNsukka
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23153431
Copyright © [2026] The Author(s). Published by the Journal of People and Worldviews (JPW). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are properly credited.