Dental service organizations
Clinical autonomy
A dentist's freedom to make treatment decisions for patients without undue pressure from third parties, including business or insurance interests.
Clinical autonomy is the freedom of a dentist to plan and provide care for a patient without undue outside influence. The ADA's Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs wrote a paper on the topic. It states that professional autonomy and clinical independence are essential for high-quality health care and benefit patients and society.
The same paper says it is important to distinguish reasonable clinical autonomy from absolute autonomy. It covers dentists as employees, as heads of staff and as employers. The idea comes up in debates about group practice and DSO employment, and in dental leadership at any size.
It differs from the ethical principle of patient autonomy, which is about the patient's right to decide. This entry defines the term only.