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A patient's right to the refusal of care is founded upon one of the basic ethical principles of medicine, autonomy. This principle states that every person has the right to make informed decisions about their healthcare and that healthcare professionals should not impose their own beliefs or decisions upon their patients. [1]
Non-Life-Threatening Treatment. Most people in the United States have a right to refuse care if treatment is for a non-life-threatening illness. This may include not getting a prescription filled, not getting a flu shot, or deciding to stop using crutches after you sprained an ankle.
The right of patients to refuse treatment is well defined and guided by ethical and legal principles, but many physicians may be unsure about how to ethically and responsibly respond while simultaneously protecting themselves against liability issues.
Non-physician HCPs should (1) actively preserve patients' right to confidentiality and refusal of treatment and (2) help establish informed consent to the extent allowed by their national organizations' guidelines in their scope of practice.
Right to Refuse Medical Treatment. All adults with decision-making capacity (i.e. able to make decisions for themselves) have the right to accept or decline medical treatment—even if decisions may result in a poor outcome, including death.