What are the four pillars of medical care?

The four pillars of medical care (formally known as the four pillars of medical ethics) are autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.

• Autonomy: The patient’s right to make their own informed decisions about their healthcare, including the right to accept or refuse treatment.
• Beneficence: The duty of healthcare providers to act in the best interest of the patient and actively promote their well-being.
• Non-Maleficence: The obligation to "do no harm" and avoid causing unnecessary pain, suffering, or injury to the patient.
• Justice: The fair, equitable, and impartial distribution of healthcare resources and treatment across all patient populations.

These principles were introduced by bioethicists Tom Beauchamp and James Childress in their 1979 book Principles of Biomedical Ethics to guide clinical decision-making and resolve ethical dilemmas.