Law Commons^™

Sports Medicine Conflicts: Team Physicians Vs. Athlete-Patients, Steve P. Calandrillo

Articles

Team physicians for professional sports franchises face a conflict of interest created by the competing loyalties they owe to the team that employs them and to the athlete-patient they must treat. Marketing agreements under which physicians pay significant sums of money to be designated as the team's "official healthcare provider" exacerbate this conflict. These marketing arrangements call into question the independent judgment of team physicians and cause players to question the quality of care they receive.

This paper explores several solutions to the growing conflicts between athletes and team doctors with the goal of enhancing players' trust in the medical …