A physician is morally obligated to provide this information and help the patient reach his decision. The patient's values are not being considered in a decision that deceives a patient and overrides their decision making actually leading to the physician's values being imposed on the patient (class discussion). Unless a patient receives sufficient information about the treatment upon which they can base their judgment, a patient's consent will not be informed, effectively cancelling any right they have as an individual to make decisions regarding their own body. A physician should fulfill the duty of adequately informing her patient of any benefits and more importantly it's risks so that they can make a decision that is consistent with their values (Vaughn 75). If the physician chooses to omit the risk of a placebo, she would be overriding the patient's right to make decisions concerning his own welfare and course of life.
There's a fundamental importance of exercising autonomy. Making decision about oneself allows us to be unique individuals with unique ideas (class notes). While the treatment may seem reasonable with minimal flaws and insignificant risks in the eyes of the physician, the patient may have a different opinion. We tend to assume that other people are intrinsically, making it easy for us to assume that others would choices that mirror ours (class notes). According to Goldman, individuals are the best judges of their own values and interest which are such characteristics that physicians don't have the authority to prevail over in an autonomous standpoint. Although physicians may be focused on the best course for the patient's health, the individual requires enough information to decide which course is in his best interest. Goldman asserts that no amount of goods, pleasures, or avoidance of personal evils can take precedence over having the ability to attempt to realize one's own value ordering, meaning that your ability to make the decision of what should happen to your body overrides any beneficial outcomes that arise from a decision that wasn't yours (Vaughn 78).
