Many of the ethical issues in the care of athletes often result from the unique and dynamic interrelationship of multiple stakeholders such as physical therapists, coaches, team manager, team owner and the athletes themselves. Since these various stakeholders often have different interests and goals, health care professionals are often conflicted about the proper course of treatment for an injured athlete. For instance, an athlete is critically injured and needs immediate medical attention, however, the team management or his aspirations requires him to play before full recovery.
How should a physician deal with such conflicts keeping his patients safety and health a priority? Can a physician be litigated if the athlete come up with undesirable outcomes?
