Team Physician Princi ples for the Management of Athletes

Serving as a team physician can be a challenging but rewarding aspect of medical practice for a sports medicine physician. Although it is, at its core, no different from any other type of medicine-that is, providing expert knowledge and service to improve and maintain optimal health for an individual-there are many other considerations that can complicate the ultimate achievement of that goal. When a “patient” becomes an “athlete”-or rather, an athlete becomes a patient-this is much more than a simple change in terminology. It brings with it connotations of the impact and goals of treatment, as well as the potential involvement of many other individuals who may have an investment in (and therefore affect) the decision-making process and final outcomes of treatment. The following chapter will discuss many of the nuances integral to acting as a team physician, including being prepared for many various medical scenarios, serving as leader of a diverse medical team, adhering to the ethical principles necessary to providing appropriate medical care to an athlete, and navigating the complex array of individuals involved in an athlete’s care.