What is autonomy?

• A. The physician's complete control over patient care decisions.
• B. The patient has the right to refuse treatment.
• C. The ability to make health care decisions without the need for physician input unless the PA feels input warranted; Autonomy is granted by the physician.
• D. The PA's personal belief system driving care.

Answer: (C)

Autonomy means having the authority to make clinical decisions within your professional role, with the supervision framework shaping how independent you can be. For a PA, autonomy is the ability to act and decide without needing a physician’s input for routine decisions, while still seeking physician guidance when the situation requires it. This autonomy is granted by the supervising physician through the practice agreement, and it isn’t unlimited independence—it’s delegated decision-making within documented scope. This focus on professional autonomy differs from patient autonomy, which is about a patient’s right to participate in or refuse treatment. The idea that a patient’s right to refuse reflects patient autonomy, not the PA’s professional autonomy. The notion that a PA’s personal beliefs should drive care is inappropriate because decisions should be guided by evidence, clinical standards, and patient values rather than personal belief.