Physicians make decisions about injury prevention, diagnosis, and treatment options, as well as which to offer and which are appropriate. Therefore, they must stay apprised of all current treatments and research. Their exact role, however, depends on contractual involvement. Nevertheless, physicians must maintain professionalism and various degrees of confidentiality. They help set the standard of care for athletes and for those who look to the athletes as examples.
Health professionals triage all incoming injuries to clinics and hospitals. For example, anyone who has ever made a trip to the emergency room for a bad case of stomach flu knows that nearly every other person coming in will be seen first. Now imagine that you are sitting there with a broken arm instead. Lo and behold, a famous athlete with the flu walks into the emergency room and expects immediate attention. Who do you think will be seen first?
Of course, this is a hypothetical situation that will likely never occur, but healthcare professionals deal with similar pressures from not-sofamous cases. Many times a physician is accused of giving athletes special treatment because of who they are. Interestingly, many people believe that this sort of conduct is perfectly acceptable. Health professionals who deal with high-profile athletes have other nonmedical concerns, too. They assist in the maintenance of security for these patients, as crowd control can be an issue when the athlete is swamped with overzealous fans.
Health professionals triage all incoming injuries to clinics and hospitals. For example, anyone who has ever made a trip to the emergency room for a bad case of stomach flu knows that nearly every other person coming in will be seen first. Now imagine that you are sitting there with a broken arm instead. Lo and behold, a famous athlete with the flu walks into the emergency room and expects immediate attention. Who do you think will be seen first?
Of course, this is a hypothetical situation that will likely never occur, but healthcare professionals deal with similar pressures from not-sofamous cases. Many times a physician is accused of giving athletes special treatment because of who they are. Interestingly, many people believe that this sort of conduct is perfectly acceptable. Health professionals who deal with high-profile athletes have other nonmedical concerns, too. They assist in the maintenance of security for these patients, as crowd control can be an issue when the athlete is swamped with overzealous fans.

