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Follow the links below to find material targeted to the unit's elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge

Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Elements define the essential outcomes
2. Determine scope of client needs
   • Explore and clarify client expectations
   • Provide clear information about scope and limits of services to be provided
   • Collect accurate and relevant health record and document in a TCM form, which can be interpreted readily by other professionals
   • Recognise needs that are beyond scope of own practice and make referrals to other health care professionals as required
   • Identify and respond to any barriers to information gathering and assessment
   • Seek client information respectfully and sensitively
   • Manage information in a confidential and secure way
3. Perform TCM four diagnostic methods
   • Provide information about TCM four diagnostic methods process and obtain client consent to proceed
   • Follow clinical and practitioner hygiene procedures
   • Respect client dignity and anticipate sensitivities
   • Seek client feedback on comfort levels
   • Assess client through observation, auscultation/olfaction, interrogation and palpation methods
   • Integrate four diagnostic methods information gathering techniques
   • Use ongoing questioning with client to gain further information as required
   • Accurately document information from the physical assessment
4. Develop treatment plan
   • Correlate results of TCM four diagnostic methods with case history
   • Consider any available western medical information and incorporate into analysis within scope of own practice
   • Make TCM syndrome differentiation according to eight principles, internal organs, Qi, blood and body fluid, and to the other syndrome differentiation methods
   • Analyse TCM syndrome and identify condition according to stage and related implications by assessing signs and symptoms
   • Identify pre-requisites or contraindications to treatment
   • Use professional judgement to draw substantiated conclusions about treatment needs
   • Establish expected treatment outcomes based on the remedial massage framework and evidence
   • Accurately document proposed treatment plan
5. Confirm TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment plan with client
   • Discuss TCM syndrome differentiation and rationale with the client
   • Assign and agree treatment priorities in consultation with the client
   • Schedule times and session lengths suited to the required techniques and sequences
   • Respond to client enquiries using language the client understands
   • Discuss referral and collaborative options with the client according to individual needs

Performance Evidence

The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role. There must be evidence that the candidate has:

performed the activities outlined in the performance criteria of this unit during a period of at least 200 hours of TCM remedial massage client consultation work

prepared for and managed at least 100 TCM remedial massage assessments - clients must include males and females from different stages of life with varied presentations

used the TCM remedial massage framework to assess client therapeutic needs:

used observation, auscultation/olfaction, interrogation and palpation diagnostic methods to collect useful information

used different TCM syndrome differentiation knowledge to gather and analyse client conditions

interacted effectively with clients:

clearly articulated information about services, treatment options and rationale

engaged clients in decision making

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Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This includes knowledge of:

legal and ethical considerations (national and state/territory) for client assessment:

codes of conduct

duty of care

informed consent

mandatory reporting

practitioner/client boundaries

privacy, confidentiality and disclosure

records management

working role boundaries

working within scope of practice

presenting symptoms that require referral to a medical practitioner

work health and safety

referral options for practitioners:

professional health services including complementary health modalities

community resources and support services

types and availability of further medical testing

factors and barriers that may impact on assessment, including:

physical

psychological

cultural

factors that affect individual health status, including:

constitution

lifestyle

diet

personal and medical history

values and attitudes

balance of rest and activity

physical environment

social environment

factors for consideration for different genders and ages:

women

men

children and adolescents

older people

client information required for assessment and the scope and depth of information needed regarding:

client objectives and expectations

client history and its components

client current state of health

main clinical complaints

signs and symptoms

onset

duration

location

quality and severity

non-verbal

different ways that signs and symptoms of conditions present:

physical

psychological

social

spiritual

features of signs and symptoms

philosophy and principles of TCM remedial massage framework, including examination of entirety, combination of disease diagnosis and syndrome differentiation, together using of all diagnostic methods

TCM four diagnostic methods:

observation: spirit, complexion, body shape, deformity, posture and tongue and coating

interrogation: chief complaint(s), history of present illness, emotional symptoms, pain, energy level, diet and appetite, stools and urine, female specific presentations

auscultation/olfaction: voice, breathing, sighing, cough, hiccup and belching, body smelling

palpation: pulse taking, chest, abdomen and four limbs palpation, channels and acu-points palpation

TCM syndrome differentiation:

TCM syndrome identification according to eight principles

TCM syndrome identification according to internal organs

TCM syndrome identification according to Qi, blood and body fluid

TCM syndrome identification according to the others differentiation methods

possible reactions, contraindications to treatment and/or limitations for assessment:

common contra-indications of TCM remedial massage - agnogenic spin injury, fracture, severe internal organ diseases, infection diseases, severe skin diseases

limitations of TCM remedial massage - lack of the structures, including lack of anatomic structure, pathology change at certain areas, weakness in specificity, lack of prognosis

disease processes and affecting factors for a range of common diseases:

body constitution

diet

exercise

emotion

lifestyle

treatment methods

basic physiology and anatomy according to TCM framework

relational dynamics within and between human behaviour, anatomy and physiology, pathology and the natural world

aetiology and pathology

disease causation, acute and chronic inflammatory processes, wound healing and haemorrhage processes

infectious and immunity process

character and function of channels and points

influence of rest and activity on health status

relationship between physical and social environment and health

treatment planning techniques and considerations

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