The four principles of biomedical ethics serve as the foundation of decision-making for healthcare professionals. There has been significant debate over which principle is most important to consider for achieving the best health outcome for patients. In this paper, I will argue why no single principle is more important than the other. My primary argument is to demonstrate multiple instances where a different principle is most important, which would imply that no single principle is most importance across all possible cases. Furthermore, I will interpret outcomes as they relate to the improvement in a patient’s health or condition.

The principle of autonomy is widely valued because it gives patients the power to choose between healthcare interventions and strengthen their role in the professional-patient relationship. It ultimately provides an individual to decide out of their own free will and thus manifests itself in a variety of medical cases (Sandman & Munthe, 2009). One example where autonomy is most important is when a patient is seeking an abortion. Autonomy over reproduction has been considered essential for the success of women’s rights. In a case where a woman must decide between continuing a pregnancy or seeking an abortion, her autonomy to choose reflects the value we place on having control over our own bodies (Purdy, 2006). While the other biomedical principles should be considered, it is unlikely that someone would willingly give control over her own body in