Pathophysiology
Clinical meaning
Patient rights are grounded in the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. The Patient Self-Determination Act (1990) requires healthcare facilities to inform patients of their right to make decisions about their medical care, including the right to accept or refuse treatment and to create advance directives. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, 1996) protects the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI), requiring minimum necessary disclosure and patient authorization for most information sharing. Informed consent requires disclosure of the diagnosis, proposed treatment, risks, benefits, alternatives, and expected outcomes before any procedure.