Doctor/Patient Privilege

[Dave Gray]

I have a question:

Does doctor/patient privilege exist in the NFL?  I see people talking all the time about what a doctor said about a player's health.  Even small stuff, I assume is protected.  I wonder if signing to the NFL means that you have to waive your rights, when meeting with the team physician.

Does anybody know?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I would imagine that you would be required to waive regarding the team doctor and the coaching staff per the contract.  Furthermore you would need to waive it to the extent necessary to complete injury report.   

This would not be out of line with other industries where a doctor's exam is a prerequisite for employment such as an airline pilot. 

But this is unlikely to be a complete waiver.  Rumors are Brady is has sought a doctor regarding hair growth and the prevention and delay of baldness.  I doubt Bill Belichick has a right to access those medical records.  Or even for that matter the medical records of Andrews a private doctor employed by Brady for the healing of his knee.  But most certainly the team doctors evaluation of Tom Brady is going be provide to BB. 

Brady may have an a right to tell BB that he may not tell the press about Brady's private health issues (although BB is probably the last coach a player would actually have a problem with releasing too much info). 

Some info we receive in through the media may in fact be an actionable invasion of privacy.   Probably against the coaching staff rather than the doctor.