Elements and Performance Criteria
- Determine the scope of the assessment and the client's needs
- Establish the client's purpose for consultation and identify the symptoms they are experiencing
- Determine the client's eligibility for service using clinic/personal policies
- Clearly explain services able to be provided and limits of available services
- Explore and clarify client's expectation of the service/clinic
- Identify factors likely to have a negative impact on assessment in consultation with the client and implement strategies to minimise the effects of these factors whenever possible
- Explain personal abilities, level of professional competence and parameters of role to the client and practise within these limits at all times
- Refer client to other health care professionals where the needs of the client are identified as beyond the scope of the services able to be provided, or if in the opinion of the practitioner the needs of the client are best met by doing
- Identify and promote the legal rights of the client
- Obtain and record an accurate history of the client
- Seek information from the client for the client's history in a respectful way with all enquiries asked in a purposeful, systematic and diplomatic manner
- Collect accurate, relevant and well-organised information and record in a form which can be interpreted readily by other professionals
- Manage information in a confidential and secure way
- Manage the health assessment
- Obtain informed client consent prior to conducting tests, in accordance with relevant legislation and regulations
- Allow adequate time during consultation to gather critical information
- Identify and minimise factors that may interfere with the information gathering process
- Identify, establish and routinely observe essential requirements for the maintenance of clinical and practitioner hygiene
- Anticipate potential sensitivities of the client, adapt approach accordingly to take these into account and take steps to ensure the client's sense of dignity is maintained at all times
- Pursue and investigate abnormal in a deliberate, logical and appropriate manner
- Assess the reliability of data obtained and establish appropriate clinical correlation with the client's complaint as soon as possible
- Adhere to the protocol required by the agency in proposing tests
- Accurately record all information in a systematic manner in accordance with clinic guidelines
- Prepare the client for assessment
- Make a comprehensive assessment of the client
- Identify signs of condition according to massage therapy framework
- Elicit specific details of signs and symptoms of the presenting complaint/s
- Assess client through palpation, observation and sensory information gathering techniques
- Conduct physical assessment
- Use other appropriate assessment techniques
- Use questions to clarify results and gain further information in a manner relevant to the client's needs and test results
- Identify contraindications to treatment
- Conduct functional and special tests and make differential assessments
- Observe and analyse static and dynamic variables of posture