Nancy M. Cummings, MD, and Matthew J. Matava, MD, discuss ethical issues in sports medicine in a recent issue of AAOS Now. There are several issues that can arise for orthopedic and sports medicine specialists when they are treating athletes, especially when those athletes are competing at a high level. Sometimes, student athletes might be competing for a scholarship or in a tournament game that could have a profound impact on their career, and in those cases sideline and locker room injections can help them continue to play, according to the report. The authors of the article pose the question of whether, under the Hippocratic Oath, these types of interventions are really providing the best care for the athlete.
Another issue that often arises in competitive athletes is the number of people who are involved in the athlete's healthcare, including parents and team managers, who may place professional goals over an athlete's long-term healthcare. In other instances, a high-school athlete may wish to receive treatment unapproved by their parents in order to play in a "big game" when collegiate scouts may be present. In these cases, physicians are precluded from seeking input from the parents without written consent from the patient under HIPAA, so the physician must make the ethical choice on how to proceed with treatment.
When the patient is a paid professional athlete, treatment decisions could be influence by the potential for future monetary gain and team members and management could influence the athlete's treatment decisions. Team physicians and medical staff are responsible for athlete education on the risks and benefits of short-term and long-term treatments, according to the report. The athlete must have informed consent for any administered treatments and they mush be educated about the potential for bad outcomes immediately or in the future.
"Despite the pressure of these external factors, the primary ethical duty of the treating orthopedist should be to protect the physical health and well-being of the athlete, just as it was in Hippocrates' time," write the authors in the article.
Related Articles on Sports Medicine:
8 Biggest Challenges Facing Team Physicians for Professional Athletes
8 Points for Spine Surgeons Treating Professional Athletes
8 Best Practices for Treating High-Level Athletes
Another issue that often arises in competitive athletes is the number of people who are involved in the athlete's healthcare, including parents and team managers, who may place professional goals over an athlete's long-term healthcare. In other instances, a high-school athlete may wish to receive treatment unapproved by their parents in order to play in a "big game" when collegiate scouts may be present. In these cases, physicians are precluded from seeking input from the parents without written consent from the patient under HIPAA, so the physician must make the ethical choice on how to proceed with treatment.
When the patient is a paid professional athlete, treatment decisions could be influence by the potential for future monetary gain and team members and management could influence the athlete's treatment decisions. Team physicians and medical staff are responsible for athlete education on the risks and benefits of short-term and long-term treatments, according to the report. The athlete must have informed consent for any administered treatments and they mush be educated about the potential for bad outcomes immediately or in the future.
"Despite the pressure of these external factors, the primary ethical duty of the treating orthopedist should be to protect the physical health and well-being of the athlete, just as it was in Hippocrates' time," write the authors in the article.
Related Articles on Sports Medicine:
8 Biggest Challenges Facing Team Physicians for Professional Athletes
8 Points for Spine Surgeons Treating Professional Athletes
8 Best Practices for Treating High-Level Athletes