The NCBTMB has partnered with major healthcare and professional organizations, along with academic institutions across the country, to provide the highest standard of excellence in education and training. These programs Conclusion As the popularity, integration, and acceptance of massage therapy and bodywork throughout the healthcare field continues to increase, so will the demand for professional practitioners who trained in a variety of techniques and well versed in the area of ethical practice. Therapists will need to expand their practice to keep pace with the profession that has expanded to treat a wide variety of mental and physical conditions, and a diverse client base. Many insurance companies cover massage and bodywork therapy as these professions are gaining acceptance and value in the medical community as collaborative partners. This growth requires the massage and bodywork professional to increase their knowledge in the field of ethics including confidentiality and privacy issues included in the HIPAA Rules that govern the electronic sharing, maintenance and storage of protected client information. These positive changes in the profession increase the need for comprehensive knowledge and application of the principles of ethical conduct as the profession joins mainstream acceptance in the community. Therapists will face increased regulation as they are integrated into medical models, so best practice for informed consent, records maintenance, confidentiality, privacy regulations, professional standards of conduct will be closely monitored as a condition of practice. Therapists must recognize the importance of evidence based practice modalities to ensure the safety of their clients. They must enhance their practice based on continued education and training from approved providers
will prepare practitioners to keep pace with growth and development within the profession of massage and bodywork in systems of integrated care.
and remain within the scope of their practice and level of competency. Practitioners must rely on their professional standards, code of ethics, rules of conduct, state and federal regulations, organizational guidelines, and sound decision making models to inform their ethical practice. Massage and bodywork therapists are now integrated in health, fitness, and sports rehabilitation, and a variety of healthcare agencies and service providers. Corporate, educational, and government funded facilities will require strict adherence to ethical standards, state and federal regulations that protect the public. The professional therapists and bodywork professional must meet the challenge to adapt to the needs and demands of diverse communities with expanding health care needs. They must build a practice that projects high standards of ethical conduct and professional practice that welcomes all clients.
WORKS CITED https://qr2.mobi/therapeutic_bodywork
ETHICS FOR THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE AND BODYWORK Final Examination Questions Select the best answer for each question and mark your answers on page 92. For faster service, complete your test online at EliteLearning.com/Book
1. All state licensing authorities, certifying/accrediting agencies, and professional associations establish their own standards of conduct and ethical guidelines for their members, and massage therapists need to: a. Memorize the AMTA, ABMP, and NCBTMB ethical codes. b. Ignore external ethical codes and create their own. c. Refer to the literature or websites of prominent organizations in other fields of study. d. Refer directly to the organizations and academic or training institutions with which they are affiliated as well as with state, local, and national associations and review the ethical guidelines that apply specifically to their practice. 2. The nature of the practitioner-client relationship is a fiduciary one. This means: a. The client and the practitioner are subject to interpersonal dynamics. b. The client trusts that the practitioner will act in the client’s best interests. c. The client and practitioner are equal in the power differential. d. The relationship is not therapeutic.
3. If a massage therapist suspects they are acting out of an unhealthy need or motive, or feel their interactions or relationship with the client are impeding rather than facilitating the therapeutic relationship, they should: a. Respectfully and courteously discuss the topic with their client. b. Encourage the client to take an active interest in health concerns. c. Seek assistance and or supervision with a professional colleague or supervisor. d. Explain their fiduciary responsibilities to the client. 4. Accountability is: a. The protection of public safety by professional organizations that certify its members through licensing and continuing education requirements. b. Practitioners’ area(s) of competence, usually obtained through formal study, training, and/or professional experience, and one for which they’ve received certification or other proof of qualification.
c. Doing what will further the patient’s interest. d. Abiding by industry standards of safety and hygiene.
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Book Code: MTX1225
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