When writing a blog to share information, be sure to keep the content professional, error free, and devoid of any identifying client information to insure privacy and confidentiality. Blogs should also be free of advertising that will distract from the topic and may include content that is counter to the practitioner’s professional image. Finally, when sending faxes that contain client information, always use a cover letter, be sure the fax number is correct and that it will be received by the appropriate staff to maintain confidentiality. Any massage or bodywork professional website, networking site or social media page should review their code of ethics, any state law and HIPAA rule that regulates technology within and outside the state boundaries of the professional license or certification. In recent years, many systems have been compromised, hacked or cracked resulting in lost or stolen personal, medical and financial information. The practitioner can never be completely confident that they can protect the privacy rights of clients when using technology for communication. Practitioners must follow numerous safeguards and be extremely vigilant when using technology in their practice. treatment room, the practitioner and client are the only witnesses and may both play a role in the progression of the ethical dilemma. The successful massage and bodywork specialist must prevent problems from escalating by preventing them through early identification of potential ethical issues and quickly addressing and resolving them with clients. What are the effects of ethical dilemmas on the relationship between the practitioner and client? 1. They damage the trust that is central to the relationship. 2. They interfere with open communication on both sides. 3. They may illicit fear, anxiety, stress, or depression in the client and therapist, which makes effective treatment impossible. 4. The client may leave the practice and seek legal recourse. 5. The therapist may refuse services and terminate the relationship. The negative end result is that the practice will be damaged and both the therapist and client will be hurt emotionally and psychologically if the situation is not successfully resolved. According to Fitch (2015) in an article for the AMTA: Usually, there are a number of warning signs that appear before a conflict erupts. If therapists ignore the warning signs, then the conflict may seem like a sudden crisis, dramatic and unexpected. If therapists pay close attention to client cues, then the conflict may offer an important opportunity to inform, change, or improve the client therapist relationship. If, on the other hand, therapists have no awareness of their client’s personal feelings about an issue, their decision making process will be flawed. Three principal responses to conflict occur in clinical disagreements which include passivity, passive aggression and aggression. The consequences are different depending on the client’s and therapist’s response, but all three circumstances have serious consequences. Remember that responsibility for treatment room communication lies with the therapist. Assessing personal risks and responding appropriately ensures that both clients and therapists remain safe within the professional massage and bodywork therapy environment.
Never post any comments or photos of clients on any pages that can be viewed by others which would be a violation of confidentiality ethics standards. This would include scheduling or confirming appointments, which should only be done through private messages on a secure site. When using email to communicate with client, always follow business email etiquette, be sure the text is free of grammar and spelling errors, and reflects a professional, conservative image. Never send out group emails that will disclose the addresses of all clients to each other, as this is a breach of confidentiality and HIPAA rules. It may be advisable to use an email provider to send out newsletters or information to the entire client base. Maintain a separate cell phone number for the business if possible that contains a professional greeting and message. Do not answer the phone in a public place that will allow others to hear the conversation or any identifying information that would constitute a confidentiality and HIPAA rule violation. It is also important to promote a professional image by conducting phone conversations in a quiet, private area, free of noise and distractions so that both parties can easily hear and communicate effectively. Investigating and ethical dilemmas The term ethics includes the study of moral decision-making (Dail, 2012). Ethical dilemmas are situations that violate the code of ethics and conduct standards of a profession. Ethical dilemmas also involve practitioner and client values, beliefs, experiences, emotions and level of trust and communication skills. The professional massage and body work professional must be cognizant of areas of practice that may lead to ethical dilemmas as well as concepts of power, professional responsibilities, effective communication, trust building, client autonomy and role in their care as a foundation to maintaining ethical practice. The competent and experienced practitioner will also be able to identify warning signs that issues are developing and address them with clients before they evolve into the level of an ethical dilemma. In a practice that is committed to ethical standards and conduct, dilemmas will often occur in subtly rather than resulting from gross negligence or malpractice such as inappropriate sexual conduct with clients. From the beginning, the practitioner must take the time to clearly establish their professional role and boundaries and maintain this level of standards-based conduct with each client interaction. They must be firm in communicating that they will not provide services that are illegal or unethical despite the requests of the client. This includes not using massage or bodywork modalities that are experimental, outside the scope of practice or the practitioner’s competence. Additionally, the practitioner must clarify the role of the client in truthfully disclosing medical information, communicating preferences, actively participating in their care decisions, maintaining boundaries and appropriate client conduct, following practice rules. Establishing and documenting these understandings in a therapist/ client agreement will set the foundation for effective and ethical practice and help to prevent misunderstandings or expectations that lead to ethical dilemmas in the future. As previously discussed, ethical dilemmas may occur even in the best of practices, despite the groundwork and agreements to prevent them. Ethical dilemmas can range from minor and easily solved dilemmas, to major dilemmas, resulting in ethical violations, lawsuits, and license or certificate revocation. Since these may occur in the private
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Book Code: MPA0825
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