[libribook.com] Traumatic Scar Tissue Management 1st Edition

Informed Consent and Intake
Informed consent constitutes an important component in professional practice
and in the development of the therapeutic relationship.
Specifics pertaining to obtaining and documenting informed consent (e.g. legal
requirements and standards) vary depending upon the massage therapist’s
licensing/registration requirements. However, the very essence of informed
consent is universal; ensuring the client has the information they need to
participate in the collaborative process of determining course of therapeutic
action and understanding that they can halt or refuse all or any aspect of care at
any time (right of refusal).
The Free Medical Dictionary defines informed consent as: ‘consent of a patient
or other recipient of services based on the principles of autonomy and privacy’.
This has become the requirement at the center of morally valid decision making
in health care and research. Seven criteria define informed consent:
1. Competence to understand and to decide
2. Voluntary decision-making
3. Disclosure of material information
4. Recommendation of a plan
5. Comprehension of terms (3 & 4)
6. Decision in favor of a plan
7. Authorization of the plan.
A comprehensive intake procedure is an important part of the therapeutic
process. A needs assessment, based on the client’s history and physical
assessment, is used to devise a treatment plan and identify therapeutic goals, and
outline the proposed measures taken to meet those goals. Effective therapists
systematically collect, document and analyze information from their clients
throughout the therapeutic process and so it is important to utilize an objective
method for measuring progress and identifying when goals have been reached
(Andrade & Clifford 2012, Fritz 2013).