Abstract: This article addresses the ethical issues of respect for autonomy and informed consent, focusing on how clinicians should deal with these concepts in clinical practice. We first clarify the concept of respect for autonomy and its practical application, as well as informed consent. We then track the origin and development of informed consent both in western countries and in China. Followed by describing several challenges that limit the practice of informed consent, we make our suggestions so as to help clinicians handle the informed consent in daily practice.