I’ve been very fortunate throughout my medical career to be able to work with some of the premier athletes of our time. Treating these professional athletes has been an amazing experience.
The people who compete at the highest levels of their sport are among the most driven and focused individuals I have come across. Unlike the average patient, professional athletes are proactive when it comes to their health. They also tend to be more knowledgeable about their health than their doctors.
However, treating professional athletes isn’t always easy and it comes with its fair share of drawbacks. Being able to navigate the tightrope between doing what’s best for a professional athlete while also helping them perform while sick or injured can be tough. Things can get even more difficult when you factor in agents, team management, media, advertisers, friends, family, and the millions of dollars that can oftentimes be at stake.
Despite this difficulty I have learned a few things along the way that have helped me immensely.
Do
Give VIP treatment:
The same is true when it comes to professional athletes. Because of the nature of who they are and what they do, they will expect better accommodations. While this doesn’t mean sacrificing the care of other patients, it will mean sacrificing your time and energy for their accommodations. I regularly miss meals and work off-hours to accommodate my patients who are professional athletes. While I certainly can’t do this for every patient, when it comes to professional athletes it’s sometimes a necessity. Your ability to treat them in a timely fashion can make a difference of millions of dollars for the organizations they play for, the people those organizations employ, and the athlete themselves. If you’re not able to make decisions or treat them when they need to be treated, they will quickly find someone else who can.
Work with their expectations:
Many athletes want to play and they want to play despite injuries. As a physician, my job is to help them return to the court or field quickly and in the safest way possible. To do this you have to be 100% honest with what your expectations are versus what their expectations are. If an athlete wants to play next week and it isn’t possible, their expectations have to be re-oriented to what’s safe. We’ve all seen stories of athletes who returned too soon and compromised their long term careers. Professional athletes are highly competitive individuals and many want to play at all costs. Working with their expectations can be difficult. Learning how to do it in a way that maximizes a working relationship with them is key.
Keep the lines of communication open:
When you’re treating a professional athlete you’re not just working with the player but oftentimes you’re also working with family, close friends, the agent, the team, other team doctors, and trainers. Navigating through the myriad of opinions and expectations can be tough. There are times when the athlete wants to play but the agent disagrees. Other times the athlete doesn’t want to play and the team disagrees. Or sometimes the athlete wants to play and the team wants him/her to play but the family disagrees. Recognizing everyone’s concerns and viewpoints while doing what’s best for the athlete can be a challenge. Being available for the athlete and his/her immediate circle will help mitigate this challenge.
I personally ensure that the athlete and the people who they allow to have access to their medical information, have a direct line of communication to me whether it be via phone or email. Being available for questions or medical advice goes a long way towards gaining their trust. It will also hopefully help foster a positive working relationship.
Respect boundaries:
There is nothing wrong with being friendly with your patients, whether they be athletes or otherwise. However, it’s usually not a good idea to treat your professional relationship with them as an out of office friendship. This can lead to situations where patients may try to take advantage of your working relationship because of your friendship. I’ve seen situations where physicians who develop a friendship with patients begin receiving personal calls or requests. This includes things like signatures for medical exemption forms, controlled substances, or other medications that may not be indicated. Keeping the relationship with the athlete professional can help continue to ensure that you’re objectively looking out for their best interest without them having to expect anything in return.
Go above and beyond:
Professional athletes are used to dedicating themselves 100% to their craft. Many of them rarely have days off and it’s not uncommon for them to expect the same from the people they work with. As a physician, it ‘s expected that you go above and beyond for patients who are professional athletes. Treating them can sometimes mean staying late, getting to the office or training room early, answering calls off-hour, or sacrificing your time for theirs. The ability to go above and beyond for their care is part of what keeps them performing at an elite level. While it may often go unrecognized, their success is in many ways directly tied to your ability to be there when they need care.
Know your athlete:
Every athlete approaches their medical care and physical conditioning differently. Some athletes prefer to be in the training room constantly for exercises, rehab, stretching, massages, etc. Others prefer a more hands-off approach and will rarely seek out help unless it’s needed. I have some athletes who reach out to me almost weekly for advice on health, nutrition, exercises, training regimens, etc. Others are comfortable doing their own research and probably take everything I say with a grain of salt. Knowing what an athlete needs to perform his or her best is key when it comes to tailoring how you deliver their care. To maximize their recovery and performance it’s important to provide and communicate their care in a way that they can relate to so that they can best utilize your care to their advantage.
Don’t
Treat them like a celebrity:
Asking a professional athlete for autographs, selfies, or other perks/favors is probably the quickest way to never work with them again. When a player comes to you for help, the last thing he/she wants is for you to ask them for something in return. A trusting relationship means treating them like a patient and not as a celebrity. Many of them are already bombarded daily with requests for interviews, autographs, photos, or the like. In order to build trust with that individual they first have to feel comfortable around you. I have personally seen employees get fired on the spot for asking for these things. As a physician, asking a professional athlete for something can easily hamper the relationship and their ability to trust in your advice and medical recommendations.
Be the team’s physician:
While your job may be the team’s physician you don’t want to be seen as the physician that works for the team. Your primary responsibility is to care for the athlete to the best of your ability while doing no harm. The wants and needs of the team and those who operate the business of the team come secondary. Most professional athletes understand the business of the sport that they play. They are hypersensitive to decisions that are made from people they see as “from the team”. If you are in any way perceived as making a decision that is in the best interest of the team instead of the athlete, you will lose that athlete’s trust as well as the trust of other members of the team.
Violate HIPAA:
This one should be a no brainer. However, you would be surprised how easy it can be to violate HIPAA laws in a professional athletic setting. HIPAA privacy laws regulate the disclosure of patient health information. Under these laws disclosing patient health information without their consent can be a federal offense. A professional athletes health is constantly being evaluated by media, opposing teams, family, friends, trainers, etc. Because of this, violating HIPAA can easily be just an inadvertent slip of the tongue away.
I once had a player from another team ask me what I thought about my patient’s rolled ankle. Divulging any details without explicit consent from the athlete himself would have been a clear violation of HIPAA privacy laws. I always make it a habit to ask the athlete who they would like me to disclose medical information with. I also always try to have them present when I am discussing their personal health information with others.
Talk in absolutes:
Professional athletes LOVE absolutes. I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard questions like, when will I be back? Or how long until I get better? Or when can I go back to practice? The reality is that doctors aren’t fortune tellers. All we can do is estimate outcomes based on our medical knowledge and experience. I never tell an athlete when something will happen. Instead, I let them know when something is likely to happen. A lot of athletes hate it, but they will hate it even more if I give them an absolute timetable and it doesn’t happen the way I guaranteed.
I’ve seen many cases where athletes are considering surgery in the offseason. They’re then told that if they get the surgery they can be back by the start of the next season. If they are still in rehab when the season starts the athlete is now stuck wondering why their recovery is taking so long. Now they’re unhappy and their trust in you might be in question. I never talk in absolutes. It avoids a lot of headache and disappointment down the road.
Be easily offended:
Working in the world of professional sports means dealing with some pretty intense situations. At this level of athletic care you’re working with highly competitive individuals. They’re often under immense pressure to perform on a stage where millions of dollars are involved. Tensions can run high and frustrations can run even higher. Having thick skin is a necessity to work in this environment whether you’re a team physician or in any way involved in the world of professional sports. Most of the scenarios we see are not life or death decisions. However, careers and livelihoods are often at stake not just for the professional athlete but for their family/friends, as well as team management, trainers, and staff. Being able to function in this environment will mean not taking things personally and focusing on positive outcomes instead of the setbacks that will eventually happen.
Eat before the players:
I’ll let NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce explain this one. In short just don’t do it
https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/1090936
Dr. Sergio Guiteau is a physician who has certifications in Aesthetic Medicine and is board certified in Family Practice and Sports Medicine. He specializes in Anti-Aging Medicine and blogs on Advancedrejuv.com/blog