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Challenges of developing sports medicine in the Netherlands … work in progress!
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  1. Fred Hartgens1,2,
  2. Frank J G Backx3
  1. 1 Epidemiology and Surgery, CAPHRI Research School, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
  2. 2 Sports Medicine Center Maastricht*Parkstad, Maastricht, The Netherlands
  3. 3 Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
  1. Correspondence to Dr Fred Hartgens, Epidemiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht 6200 MD, The Netherlands; f.hartgens{at}maastrichtuniversity.nl

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-101476

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    Sports medicine was finally recognised as a full medical specialty in the Netherlands, comparable with the position of orthopaedic surgeons and cardiologists, on 1 July 2014; nearly 50 years after the Dutch Association of Sports Medicine (VSG) was founded by a handful of enthusiastic pioneers on 8 May 1965. From these humble beginnings, sports medicine gradually gathered momentum and a 4-year full-time training, similar to that seen in other medical disciplines, was introduced in 1991. These pioneers were regarded as ‘upstarts’ in the Dutch healthcare system, but by combining their efforts from the start, and by focusing on the single goal to make sports medicine a new medical specialty, they were able to create new opportunities (and challenges) for young doctors with an interest in sport.

    Dutch sports medicine science agenda

    Sports medicine includes prevention, diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation, with a view to maintain or improve performance at every level. As with every medical specialty, there is a constant need to extend our knowledge, and expertise, and to make the latest advances more accessible to athletes, players, parents and coaches. To achieve this the VSG, in close collaboration with the majority of the 150 sports medicine specialists, developed a science agenda to address the challenges that were anticipated in the upcoming years. Among the main topics identified were overuse …

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