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Medical Expert Group

vision

The IOC Health, Medicine and Science Commission and Health, Medicine and Science Director of the IOC are responsible for the governance of health care at the Olympic Games. The Medical Expert Group is responsible to them, and plays a vital role as part of the IOC, to ensure excellence of provision of medical services at the Olympic Games, excellence in research and excellence in education.

For the Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games, the Medical Expert Group usually consists of :

  • The Chair.
  • The OCOG Chief Medical Officer.
  • Pharmacy, dental, physiotherapy, radiology (imaging) and emergency medicine specialists, responsible for ensuring that these services are delivered to the highest possible standard in the Polyclinic and venues
  • Public Health Specialist from WHO mass gathering unit
  • Environmental specialist (heat illness)
  • Experienced sport medicine doctors, responsible for ensuring the running of the Polyclinic and venues, liaising with NOC, IF and OCOG doctors and supporting the IOC safeguarding officer in the protection of athlete mental health and prevention of harassment and abuse.
  • The next two Chief Medical Officers from the subsequent summer and winter Olympic Games are also members in order to gain experience as well as contributing to the governance and overview of medical and anti-doping provision. In addition, there are five experts in injury surveillance who work as part of the Medical Expert Group.

All members of the Medical Expert Group are the eyes and ears of the IOC Health, Medicine and Science Commission and Health, Medicine and Science Director through the Olympic Games.

The anti-doping function that was covered by the Medical Expert Group at previous editions of the Games is now covered by the International testing Agency (ITA) which will cooperate with the IOC Health, Medicine and Science Commission.

The Chair of the Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) committee will be selected by the ITA and may be supported by at least two members of the Medical Expert Group, forming a TUE panel and will report all TUEs to the ITA at the Games, using the resources of the IOC Health, Medicine and Science Commission.

All members of the Medical Expert Group are responsible for helping the IOC Health, Medicine and Science department with the research on injury and illness in athletes at the Games, helping obtain daily data from National Olympic Committees (NOCs).

All members are also responsible for contributing to education on the IOC needle policy and the requirements for TUEs. They may be invited to contribute to the educational programme of workshops organised by the IOC Head of Scientific Activities.

All members of the Medical Expert Group are expected to be present and support the organising committee and the IOC at the NOC team physician meetings.