NEW LEGISLATION PROTECTS SPORTS MEDICINE DOCTORS // STUDY: TRY COMPRESSION DEVICE INSTEAD OF BLOOD THINNERS
Elizabeth Hofheinz, M.P.H., M.Ed. • Sat, May 10th, 2014
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Frederick M. Azar, M.D. Discusses Bill to Protect Sports Medicine Specialists
A team doctor accompanies athletes across state lines to cover a game. When the excitement of the game passes, however, he or she learns that they are at risk for a lawsuit. But things are changing with the introduction of a new bill in Congress that would provide licensure clarity for sports medicine professionals. Dr. Frederick Azar, M.D., President of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), tells OTW, “Sports medicine doctors often travel across state lines with their teams, and there are a lot of injuries during the game that require rapid evaluation. The team doctor is then faced with an unenviable dilemma: either deny their patient continuity of care from their own doctor who knows the athlete and his or her medical history, or treat their patient at significant professional and legal risk.”
