When a patient has autonomy, what should you respect?

• A. The physician's personal preferences
• B. The patient's views and choices based on their values or beliefs
• C. The family's wishes
• D. The clinic's policies

Answer: (B)

Respect for autonomy means honoring the patient’s own values, beliefs, and choices about their medical care, provided they have the capacity to understand and communicate a decision. When a patient is autonomous, you support and implement their informed decision, even if it differs from your own views or from the family’s wishes, as long as the decision is informed and voluntary.

This fits best because autonomy centers on the patient’s control over their own body and treatment, anchored in informed consent, capacity assessment, and the right to accept or refuse.

Physician’s personal preferences should not determine care, and while family input can be considered, it does not override the patient’s autonomous choices if the patient is competent. Clinic policies guide practice, but they cannot override an informed, competent patient’s decision.