Obtaining informed consent is most directly associated with which principle?

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Respect for patient autonomy is the principle most directly connected to informed consent. Informed consent centers on giving a patient clear information about a procedure, its risks and benefits, and alternatives, assessing that the patient has the capacity to decide, and ensuring the decision is voluntary. This process enables the patient to exercise self-determination about what happens to their body, which is the essence of autonomy.

Fidelity, veracity, and beneficence are important ethical principles that support good care, trust, truth-telling, and acting in the patient’s best interest, but they do not by themselves establish the patient’s right to decide. Autonomy specifically anchors the consent process by protecting the patient’s right to accept or decline care based on informed understanding.