Autonomy and informed consent in doctor-patient relationship

One of the first modern medical ethics issues is the source document of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, by which a person is free and has the right to make decisions relating to him. The patient''s autonomy and the principle of respect for his informed consent has become an increasingly important issue in contemporary medical ethics. Since such studies have not been previously conducted in Estonia, there is no clear understanding, how the doctors or patients actually approach to patient autonomy. This study provides an overview of one study conducted in one hospital of Estonia from which it can not be decided which is the actual state of the patient''s autonomy in practice in all over Estonia.