Informed consent in sports medicine.
Informed consent acknowledges the autonomy of a person to make choices consistent with personal goals and values. The virtuous physician will understand that the athlete's autonomy is severely diminished by internal and external forces beyond the control of medical personnel. Because of this, a truly informed consent in sports medicine is even more difficult to achieve than in other medical specialties. Awareness of these problems does not assure a genuine informed consent, but being unaware of them isa guarantee of its impossibility.
Bunch
Wilton H
WH
Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, 800 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham, AL 35229, USA. whbunch@samford.edu
Dvonch
Victoria M
VM
D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D032962:Consent Forms; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000941:ethics; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D013178:Sports Medicine