title: Sports medicine, confidentiality and the press.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse athletes' medical information disclosed by English newspapers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten daily national newspapers, nine Sunday newspapers and one local newspaper were studied during March 2010 for media releases relating to the medical conditions of athletes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred and thirty-three newspapers were reviewed revealing 5640 specific bulletins regarding athletes' health. Daily national newspapers averaged 18.72 daily bulletins, Sunday newspapers 11.86 and one local newspaper reviewed 6.07. The frequency with which various sports had their athletes' medical details published was analysed. Football accounted for 83.78%. The information source in 77.32% of articles is not clearly stated. The patient was only responsible in 6.10% of cases, where the source of attribution is clear.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  English newspapers are replete with athletes' medical details, with football dominant. A significant risk to clinicians' professional status exists if they collude to release the un-consented confidential medical information to those with no direct involvement in athletes' medical care. Athletes' education as to their rights as patients and to sports medicine professionals as to their obligations are urgently required.
authors.affiliation: School of Health, The University of Northampton, Northampton, UK. billribbs@uk-doctors.co.uk
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ribbans
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ribbans
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nightingale
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McNamee
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001265:Athletic Injuries; D003219:Confidentiality / Q000941:ethics*; D030881:Disclosure / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000941:ethics; D018156:Journalism, Medical / Q000592:standards; D009524:Newspapers as Topic / Q000941:ethics* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D028701:Patient Rights / Q000941:ethics; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards; D012650:Self Disclosure; D013178:Sports Medicine / Q000941:ethics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data