This current issue of Salute e Società calls attention to the pressing need for a cross-disciplinary discussion among physicians, philosophers, and jurists in tackling questions such as personal freedom, the right to self-determination, the protection of personal data, the right not to know (especially in genetics), the spread of so-called defensive medicine, and the model we should adopt in enabling patients and physicians to share information and communicate in a way that supports the decision-making process.