Aim:

Promoting autonomy means changing from a paternalistic model to one in which individuals play an active role in their healthcare, which their participation in medical decision-making will reflect. This issue needs to be sufficiently explored in Chile, so this article aims to describe the perception of users living with multimorbidity regarding their ability to exercise autonomy in clinical care.

Method:

Qualitative case study conducted in a sample of patients with multimorbility from a family health center in Santiago de Chile. Content analysis was performed according to the Krippendorf method.

Results:

The sample comprised 19 adult participants with an average of 2.7 chronic health conditions. Three categories emerged from the content analysis of the interviews: (a) Meaning attributed by users to autonomy in health care, (b) Elements that health care respecting user autonomy should consider, and (c) Participation during clinical care.

Conclusions:

Considering the sustained increase in chronic health conditions, it is imperative to rethink how health care is provided, highlighting the value of user participation through shared decision-making as an expression of respect for individuals' autonomy and the promotion of patient-centered care.

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