Providing autonomy and respect: A primer on patient rights

Abstract

Patient rights are a fundamental aspect of modern health care, encapsulating key ethical principles and legal protections for individuals receiving medical care. These rights have evolved over the past several decades, in part due to changing societal values, landmark legal cases, and policy developments. At their core, patient rights aim to ensure that patients are treated with dignity and respect, have autonomy in medical decision-making, and are protected from discrimination and abuse or within the health care system. (from Introduction)