Student physiotherapists are taught and reminded timeously during lectures of the importance of incorporating ethical reasoning and professionalism within the scope of clinical practise where we are expected and encouraged to make inquiries, make decisions, give substance to the understanding and decision making with regard to ethical dilemmas (Edwards, 2005). A qualified,and now lecturing physiotherapist wrote that medical professionals should provide patients with sufficient information so that they are able to make an informed decision about their bodies and health (Rowe, 2016). Furthermore, The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) has eight ethical principles for physiotherapists which include the following: to have respect for the rights and dignity of all individuals; to adhere to legislation and regulations of the physiotherapy practise area, but also having the right to refuse treating patients whereby physiotherapy is not in their best interests; to accept responsibility to utilize sound judgement; to provide truthful, proficient and liable professional services; to be devoted to providing valuable services; to have the right to a just and fair salary for the services offered by the physiotherapist and lastly to bestow towards the forethought and growth of services that give a dissertation to the health and needs of the community (Unknown, 2017).

A fourth year physiotherapy student was completing some of her hours for the Health professional Council of South Africa at what is considered as a sports block at a well-known university in cape town. During the second week of the five weeks that she is to work there, she had an appointment with a 21 year old female athlete, 400 and 600 meter sprinter that is youthful and passionate about running, but more so competitively with the aspiration of running for the country in the future. She was saddened when she had to seek physiotherapy treatment whereby she presented with complaints of tightness, stiffness and accompanied pain of her hips bilaterally when she runs and at rest. As many athletes do, she ignored her symptoms which her body had tried voicing rather loudly, until she became bothered by experiencing the symptoms at rest. A preliminary hypothesis of a possible femoalacetabular impingement of her hips bilaterally had been suggested and without disclosing the hypothesis with the patient, the puzzled and concerned student physiotherapist continued by treating the patients symptoms with the appropriate treatment for her presenting complaints. A qualified physiotherapist that previously treated this athlete agreed with the student physiotherapist’s preliminary hypothesis and suggested that the athlete has what is called a pincer-type femoralacetabular impingement and that she needs to be referred to an orthopaedic surgeon to discuss further management. This is defined as the pathological contact between the acetabular labrum and rim and the femoral head-neck junction which could be caused by multiple factors such as anatomical abnormalities, malorientation of the acetabulum, torsional abnormalities of the neck and femoral shaft and the involvement in sports characterized by repeated and sudden maximum joint excursions (Sabetta, 2015).  The qualified physiotherapist that had previously been treating this patient proved to have no urgency in referring the athlete/patient to the orthopaedic surgeon, nor was the athlete/patient informed of this possible referral. The nervous student then educated the athlete/patient on her condition and the suggested referral for her. A sudden burst of tears flooded from the athlete/patient along with expressing immense fear of the implications of going for surgery. The patient kept murmering, “my running career, my running career, my running career…” . there was a moment of silence followed by another burst of tears. After the student expressed some empathy and sympathy, the patient expressed disappointment of not being informed of this sooner. By her running, would also mean making her bursae more inflamed, thus worsening the condition. The distraughted athlete whom had dreams of partaking in the olymics one day, is undecided about going for surgery or to continue with conservative treatment. She seeks advise from the student physiotherapist as they have developed trust among each other, and being expected to advise patients for them to make an informed decision, the student physiotherapist advised the surgery.

It has been 4 weeks.

There has been no contact from the athlete/patient since…

List of References

Edwards, I. B.-M. (2005). Ethical reasoning as a clinical-reasoning stratergy in physiotherapy. Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, 229 – 236.

Rowe, M. (2016). First draft of article on informed consent for the clinical teacher. USR/SPACE.

Sabetta, E. &. (2015). Treatment of pincer-type femoroacetabular impingement . Thieme Medical Publishers, 78 – 81.

Unknown. (2017, April Tuesday). Policy Statement: Ethical Responsibilities of Physical Therapists and WCPT Members . Retrieved March 04, 2019, from World Confederation for Physical Therapists: https://www.wcpt.org/policy/ps-ethical-responsibilities