ETHICS IN SPORTS
MEDICINE
Chapter 9
What are Ethics?
• Help define acceptable behavior among members of a
group. Professions establish codes of ethics to provide
behavioral guidelines for their members and to help
protect the public from the actions of unethical
practitioners.
Relevance to AT
• Every health care profession has a code of ethics and
each member must abide by them. If an individual has
multiple credentials, then each code must be upheld.
Code of Ethics
• All are based on these Foundations:
• Autonomy
• Beneficence
• Nonmaleficence
• Fidelity
• Veracity
• Justice
Medical Ethics
• Moral philosophy that helps practitioners and others
discern if and under what circumstances various health
care practitioners are right or wrong.
NATA Code of Ethics
Members shall:
1. Respect the rights, welfare, and dignity of all
2. Comply w/the laws & regulations governing the practice
of AT
3. Accept responsibility for the exercise of sound
judgment
4. Maintain & promote high standards in their provision of
services
5. Not engage in conduct that could be construed as a
conflict of interest or that reflects negatively on the
profession
Relationship between Legal & Ethical
Considerations
• Defining a Professional
• Clinician-Patient relationship (trust/confidence)
• Collegial Relationships (other health care provider)
• Attire and Hygiene
• The Athletic Trainer as a Primary Party
• To be directly involved in the situation
• Are you the perpetrator of an unethical act?
Unethical Acts
1.
Breach of Confidentiality
• The ATC serves many roles that relate to athletes/patients
• Problems due to the # of people involved in the delivery of care
• Coaches, administration. Colleagues
• (refer of opening chapter case study)
• High profile athletes and the athletic industry
How to protect the confidentiality of
Information and Communications
• Publish policies
• Establish and follow proper procedures for documentation
• Control access to records
• Designate 1 person to handle all aspects of information
• Never disclose info in public or private unless given
permission
Exceptions
A professional should recognize the difference
between a REASON and an EXCUSE and should accept
a reason as an excuse only when it is both unavoidable
and justifiable.
The reasons stated below would be considered excusable;
any other reason would be inexcusable:
• When the client is in clear & imminent danger
• When others are in clear & imminent danger
• When legal requirements demand the release of
confidential information
2. Conflict of Interest
• Always best to place the interests of the patient above all
other concerns
• Receiving payment for using certain products
• Avoid even the APPEARANCE of a conflict
3. Exploitation
• The intentional use of another person/group to achieve a
selfish objective
• Exploitation involves the intentional use of another person or group
of persons to achieve a selfish objective
The ATC as a Third Party
• When you are NOT personally involved in the dilemma
but you have professional responsibilities because of
his/her knowledge of the situation.
• The ATC has the responsibility not only to intervene in the best
interest of the client but to also protect others from harm whenever
there is apparent risk of harm occurring.
• The ATC can act more appropriately to find a resolution
How YOU become a Third Party
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Breach of Confidentiality, Conflict of Interest,
Exploitation of a Patient
Forbidden knowledge
Knowledge of high-risk behaviors
Knowledge of illegal activities
Knowledge of situations in which the welfare of the
patient conflicts with the welfare of another individual or
group
3 Approaches to
Ethical Decision Making
Choosing the RIGHT approach depends on the situation at
hand
Ethical Egoism
2. Utilitarianism
3. Formalism
1.
Whistle-Blowing
• Help clear your conscious
• By not bringing forward the facts, the consequence may
be too great to bear
• Are there double standards if you blow the whistle?
• Current laws do not do much to protect
• Sarbanes-Oxley Act
Recommendations
• Know your professional code of ethics
• Recognize the situations
• Be sensitive to situations where ethical concerns exist
• Consult others
• Refer to a higher authority
• Refer when you become a 3rd Party
• Document
• Follow your Conscious
• Fully disclose to others all of your roles