The importance of the Intake Form and what information it should contain to maximize the effectiveness of your sessions.
| Why the intake form is important to your safety... Simply receiving an intake form is a good indication that your therapeutic goals may very well be met in a safe and intelligent manner of approach and that your therapist actually cares about process and your well-being. |
First; Why the Intake Form is important...
- The Intake provides any necessary information that your therapist may need to know to effectively assess and address an issue with a personalized treatment plan.
- Because different complaints and ailments vary from person to person, treatments will vary as well. What may be an effective treatment plan for one person may not be as effective for you. The Intake Form is the blue print of how to build a healthier structure.
- The Intake Form provides information to your therapist as to what focus areas to concentrate on. It also allows you to take an active role in your own treatment plan and develop a priority of what needs focus. It is extremely important to identify your CC; (Chief Complaint) this is where your therapist will start, in terms of devising a plan of action towards your treatment.
- The intake gives the therapist an idea of any contraindications to avoid during the treatment. Many times the intake will reveal any allergies that you may have as well as any accidents or injuries you have suffered in the past that your therapist needs to know about. Like that dislocated shoulder you suffered in the 3rd grade and don't forget; it's a good idea to tell your therapist if you have an allergy to nuts etc; any ingredient that may be used in treatment products like oils or gels.
Next, what information does the Intake Form need to contain?
- At the very least, the intake should ask for a brief review of your medical history and include any current medications as this is important for your therapist to know. This includes any accidents, injuries, surgeries, or other medical conditions.
- Any current issues or ailments should be addressed in the Intake Form. This gives your therapist an idea of what kind of treatment you desire today and that you are seeking more than a relaxation massage.
- Your contact data should be present on the form. This includes a contact phone number and email address. Home address, other phone numbers, and date of birth may be optional information as well.
Some Intake Forms include body maps and assessment charts. This enables your therapist to track any trigger points, ranges of motion, chart strengths of muscles and note any tissue characteristics. Maps and charts further increase the effectiveness of the treatment plan. I have sometimes seen longer Intake Forms that provide a detailed check the box list of many different and various pathologies. Others may include an area for the patient to chime in on their own preferences as to what kind of massage they like and any areas to key in on or avoid. Some states require that you sign a confidentiality disclosure as part of the Intake Form. If insurance is accepted, a HIPPA agreement is mandatory and is often filled out at the beginning of treatment. A HIPPA or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 basically ensure confidentiality and limits who has the right to see healthcare information.
You may be wondering why you are never asked to fill-out an intake form at any spas you may visit.
Although they should, spas don't typically ask you to fill out an intake form simply because they are generally run by corporate GMs that know nothing about healthcare. Frankly it isn't about healthcare for most spas it's about "The Bottom Line".
Your Licensed Massage Therapist uses the initial interview as the beginning point to a successful treatment plan. The Intake Form is the first bit of information that we learn about you. As the therapeutic relationship develops, we file the form of initial information and build upon it with a subsequent form called a SOAP note to track your progress. A SOAP form contains information that you tell us, information we observe, anything we assess during palpation or treatment, and lists what we did during our session. Hence SOAP, Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan. Intake Forms and SOAPs vary as do treatments. A commonality is the process and keystone in helping to render a healthier more balanced you.
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