Patient Advocacy and Autonomy

Patient Advocacy and Autonomy Name Institution Patient Advocacy and Autonomy The Belmont Report was first published in 1979 by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research (Department of Health, 2014). The report outlines ethical framework to be used by researchers regarding human involvement in research. It is a reference document used as a guide outlining some of the basic ethical `principles in relation to research (Department of Health, 2014). Belmont Report provides specific guidelines to be followed according to the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research to ensure that research is conducted in accordance with the set principles. The Belmont Report outlines the three main principles to be considered that are accepted; these are autonomy, patient advocacy, and informed consent (Department of Health, 2014). Autonomy is the process of being capable of making decisions about personal goals and acting in relation to these decisions. According to the report, an individual who cannot make decisions for themselves due to illness needs to be protected by the society even if it involves the process of excluding them from harmful activities (The Belmont Report, 2001). The exclusion process needs to be determined by the potential risk of harm versus the probability of the benefits involved. Autonomy entails valuing human dignity in a situation where the ability to make decisions has been reduced (The Belmont Report, 2001). The ethical principle of informed consent is a general requirement for research involving human subjects. Informed consent is meant to protect participants during research, ensuring that the participants are made aware of the risks, benefits and other alternatives involved during the research. Informed consent guidelines outlined by the human research protection law emphasizes that the participants be given a well-documented statement detailing the research purpose, research procedures, and the research duration especially when participants will actively be involved (The Belmont Report, 2001). The research participants, according to the guidelines, need to be aware of the risk and other alternative procedures in the course of the research before consenting (The Belmont Report, 2001). Obtaining informed consent from participants involves informing the participants about the process of maintaining confidentiality. Participants need to be aware of how their records are to be kept and who will handle their personal information. In case there are risks of injuries, participants need to be informed where to obtain treatment and who to contact in case they have any questions. Research participation should be voluntary and participants need to be made aware of this (The Belmont Report, 2001). Patient advocacy includes having the obligation not to cause harm, according to the Belmont Report individuals need to be thoughtful by considering when action should be taken despite the risk involved. Belmont Report does not offer a comprehensive solution but simply provides a framework that analyses ethical issues. Patient’s advocacy, in this case, involves disclosing associated risks. Patient advocacy is about helping ...