The principle of autonomy as related to personal decision making concerning health and research from an 'Islamic Viewpoint'

Rathor, Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Rani, Mohammed Fauzi and Mohd Shah, Azarisman Shah and Leman, Wan Ishlah and Akter, Seikh Farid Uddin and Omar , Ahmad Marzuki (2011) The principle of autonomy as related to personal decision making concerning health and research from an 'Islamic Viewpoint'. Journal of the Islamic Medical Association of North America , 43 (1). pp. 27-34. ISSN 0899-8299

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Abstract

Informed consent is now accepted as a cornerstone of medical practice. It is a derivative of the four fundamental principles of medical ethics, which are patient autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice. Islam upholds the underlying virtue of these four basic principles, but diversity arises in their interpretation and practical applications. In the World Health Report 2000, the World Health Organization opined that the expectation for autonomy was “universal,” while acknowledging cultural differences in its interpretation and implementation. The concept of autonomy applies well in securing the rights of patients against paternalistic infringement and in cases of malpractice. However, in this paper we argue that strict adherence to the Western grounded philosophy of medical ethics and autonomy is insufficient to solve ethical dilemmas in modern medicine, as it denies the role of faith in a supernatural being. Most non-Western cultures are still proud of their communal relations and spiritualistic ethos. In Western bioethics, patient autonomy prevails in choices involving all sectors of social and personal life, a concept unacceptable in many other cultures. In Islamic bioethics, the rights of God, the community, as well as the individual do feature in consideration. Islam emphasizes health promotion and disease prevention, making it obligatory for a Muslim physician to dissuade practices that undermine individual and collective health. Islam encourages individuals to get involved in such research, which has a public benefit and justifies the risks of participation. We propose a more flexible viewpoint that accommodates cultural values in interpreting autonomy and applying it in an increasingly multilingual and multicultural, contemporaneous society. Key words: Informed consent, autonomy, ethics, Islam.

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Additional Information:	2309/2015
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Informed consent, autonomy, ethics, Islam
Subjects:	R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA1001 Forensic Medicine. Medical jurisprudence. Legal medicine R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA1001 Forensic Medicine. Medical jurisprudence. Legal medicine
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Medicine > Department of Community Health & Family Medicine Kulliyyah of Medicine > Department of Internal Medicine Kulliyyah of Medicine > Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Depositing User:	Professor Dr Mohammad Yousuf Rathor
Date Deposited:	20 Sep 2011 08:19
Last Modified:	10 Jul 2014 12:22
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/2015

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