Risk Management in Sports Medicine: Protecting Patients and Your Practice

Course overview

Recognize unique malpractice exposures in sports healthcare and explain how communication, compassion, and the standard of care influence negligence claims. Describe how a doctor-patient relationship can be established without formal agreement and explain the duty to disclose abnormal findings in pre-employment exams. Explain the limited capacity duty owed during partial examinations and identify the shift from regional to national standards of care. Apply the principle that practitioners choosing among accepted treatment options are not negligent and recognize how assumption of risk limits athlete recovery. Describe a practitioner's duty to warn athletes about activity-related risks and explain confidentiality obligations within the doctor-patient relationship. Analyze causation requirements in sports malpractice and explain informed consent duties in pre-participation screening for conditions like Marfan syndrome. Apply stepwise return-to-play protocols for concussion management, including neuropsychological and postural stability testing, and written risk disclosures. Differentiate res ipsa loquitur, contributory negligence, and governmental immunity as they apply to sports injury cases. Recognize criminal liability exposure, duties regarding athletes with eating disorders, and the scope of vicarious liability for employees' actions. Explain a team physician's ongoing duty to disclose risks to injured athletes and identify hazards of nutritional supplements including Ma Huang and drug interactions. Evaluate FDA authority over harmful supplements, substantive due process claims against schools, and best practices for accurate documentation without spoliation. Identify recoverable damages in sports malpractice litigation and apply communication strategies and sincere apologies to reduce lawsuit risk.