Which ethical principle allows patients to make decisions regarding their own healthcare?

The principle that allows patients to make decisions regarding their own healthcare is autonomy. Autonomy is grounded in the respect for individuals' rights to govern themselves and make informed choices about their own health and medical care. This principle recognizes that patients have the capacity to understand their health conditions and treatment options, and they possess the right to accept or refuse treatment based on their values, beliefs, and personal circumstances.

In a healthcare setting, autonomy emphasizes the importance of informed consent, where practitioners provide patients with all necessary information to make educated decisions about their care. It fosters a partnership between patients and healthcare providers, enabling individuals to actively participate in discussions about their treatment plans and health outcomes.

Other principles, such as beneficence and nonmaleficence, focus on the moral obligation to do good and to avoid harm, respectively, while justice pertains to fairness and equality in distributing healthcare resources. However, these principles do not specifically empower patients to make their own healthcare decisions as autonomy does.