Law and the Team Physicians

"Law and the Team Physician" is the first comprehensive examination of liability issues that team physicians may face in delivering care to athletes. In this practical and reader friendly resource, author Elizabeth Gallup- a lawyer, a doctor, and a former team physician - offers her unique perspective on how the law may affect the practice of sports medicine. The book is an excellent legal guide for team physicians working with junior high, high school, college, or professional sports teams. From Good Samaritan issues to the legal aspects of sports medicine consultancy with professional teams, "Law and the Team Physician" covers the risk management areas most important to medical practitioners who work with athletic teams. Some of the topics include: deciding whether to prohibit an athlete's participation, how to determine if an athlete should return to play after an injury, what should be in the team physician's medical bag, the potential liabilities involved when a team physician knows an athlete is using drugs, what sports are believed to present a greater risk for transmitting the HIV virus, and why a team physician should never alter a medical record.
Each chapter ends with a section on practical considerations that recaps the information in the chapter and helps the team physician put it into practice. Readers will also find many sample documents throughout the book, including contracts, petitions, and risk releases. "Law and the Team Physician" helps doctors minimize their legal risks so they can continue to provide a valuable service to society. The book's coverage of applicable law is useful not only for team physicians but also for sport law professionals, athletic administrators, athletic trainers, and other sports medicine practitioners.