NEDA TOOLKIT for Coaches and Trainers
Confidentiality issues
Issues of confidentiality can be difficult when dealing with disordered eating in athletes. You may seek accurate
information about the health and well-being of your athlete and find you are not allowed access to the same
information (medical records) or disclosure as that of legal guardians. A useful resource for coaches who have an
athlete with an eating disorder is the NCAA Coaches Handbook: Managing the Female Athlete Triad.
Here are some tips on how to fulfill your job as coach while honoring confidentiality:
• Familiarize yourself with HIPAA (the 1996 Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act),
which protects the privacy of insured patients.
Healthcare professionals are not at liberty to talk
with you about an athlete’s condition because
they are legally and ethically bound to protect
confidentiality. Confidentiality is important
because it allows the athlete to be honest with
their treatment team, knowing that a provider can
only release information to others with the written
consent of the athlete.
• Consider asking the athlete if he or she feels
comfortable sharing their treatment progress with
you. If they would rather keep their treatment/
recovery private, do not be dismayed.
• Be willing to communicate your thoughts/
observations to the treatment team even if you are
not formally included in the treatment planning.
This can be tough for a coach, especially if you
feel you know your athlete well. Often, however,
you may have important information for the
treatment team on the health of your athlete
and it is important to convey that, invited or not.
Even though the healthcare professionals treating
the athlete cannot talk with you about his/her
condition or treatment, they can listen to what you
have to report.
• Be accepting and understanding of the complexities
and challenges of treating an eating disorder.
Encourage and support appropriate treatment.
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