Intake form considerations

[Helpp]

As I watched my grandma fill out my friend's intake form, squinting and working too hard to make sure she filled it correctly, it ocurred to me that intake forms may not be designed as well as they could be.How bout yours? Can a senior citizen read them easily? Are the spaces big enough to actually write in? Do you ask potentially embarassing questions about info you don't truly need to know (e.g. weight, gender)? Also, in the hospital I was noticing just how bureaucratized medical care is today. All these complex forms, big posters on the walls to help nurses remember them... they keep track of how much food you eat and when, how much some people go to the bathroom, who does what when. And I know this stuff has some necessity, but it was all so... CLINICAL Are your forms too clinical? Could they be more inviting? Do they facilitate learning what you need to know to give your client a good treatment, or do they merely cover your butt should legal problems arise?These are some of the questions going around in my head. I'm not sure yet how I'll address them when the time comes for me to make my own, but that's a ways down the line. In the meantime, I'm interested to hear from everybody else.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Mine is clinical and somewhat legal but easy to fill out.  The writing is small because I wanted it all to fit on one page, but there is ample space to write things down (I write large myself).  It has a "release" and a statement of massage benefits and limitations.  It also has the cancellation policy and payment policy in the case of insuance claims.I also have cues to clients when they are listing their meds and such - many women forget that their BC is a med.  I have a check mark system for many common complaints and things that I may need to alter my treatment for.  When a clinent chekcs something off it promts me to ask more specific questions.The system for updates that I have is that when I open a new file I have a year sticker that goes in the corner - at the beginning of each year I check the information again with the client and write anything new/different on the same sheet.  The file then gets a sticker for the new year.  This also helps with tracking stale files - I can move stale files out in May and make room for new clients!

 

[Metallica Boy]

Covering one's butt should legal problems arise is a legitimate concern.  I need both information and protection, and you may find you will too.

 

[Dashing Geek is Bada$$]

Intake form considerations

I have a spot (link) where I'll share useful documents like intake forms, etc on my little webpage for sharing pictures of our spaces. Anyone can add to it & write comments, etc.

I'll be uploading those documents Monday (day off).

It might not be a perfect intake for everyone, but its good to share ideas & 'wording' and to get constructive comments from others. Mine is just a MS Publisher document that I wrote myself.

The link is
http://msnusers.com/mrgang

Look for items like Useful Docs & Jill's Place (where I posted photos of my treatment room), etc on the left bar.

Hope you're all enjoying a great weekend.

I'm trying, but am suffering day1 of a good old fashioned cold bug! achoo! sniff.  :-[

Jill/Sagetherapist