Ethics in sports medicine.

All physicians are faced at some time with fundamental challenges while striving to respect the principle canons which define a physician's ethical code. These canons are: 1. Primacy of patient interests, 2. Patient confidentiality, 3, Informed consent, and 4. Maintenance of a high standard of care. Athletes, because of their focus on performance, often present unique situations which lead to ethical challenges not seen in the general patient population. Adherence to the four principle ethical canons guides physicians to make ethical decisions when dealing with these unique patients.