Levels of documentation in spas?

[Vega]

I'm curious to know what range of session documentation you've seen in spas... and what level do you think is most common or standard?

 

[Janina]

I worked in a spa for 6 months right out of school. They had zero documentation unless you count swiping a credit card. It was a high end place that charged $150 for a 50 minute massage and only paid us $20 per hour plus tips.

I figure they had insurance to cover anything that came up. I am unsure if they place would screw me over and let the client come after the therapist. If they did that, I think they would have to change a few things or no one would want to work there.

 

[Tayman]

Where I currently work they have a pretty basic intake form that everyone has to fill out. For regular clients we keep them. For tourists we toss them. I think she probably keeps them for a few months though. I was never told to get insurance (though I have it) and I suppose she must have some.

The place I worked in hawaii did intake forms when I started, but did away with them while I was there because it took up too much time and "nobody else does them" in the area.

I don't really know what level is the most common, but my guess would be that doing intake forms is more common. Most places I've gone to get a massage have me fill one out.

 

[Margarita de la Rosa]

I get a lot of massages here and rarely does a therapist have an intake for me to fill out. Only one spa that I have been to has an intake, and I have been to about eight, including five of the big hotel chain spas. Also, only one or two massage therapists I have seen (who own their own business) have me fill out a form.

My concern with spas not having a form is the amount of water and heat treatments offered without knowing if the client has high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. The therapists never even ask about my health history.

When I first started working here, some of my clients would question why I had a form in the first place because they had never filled one out before although they "get massages all the time".

 

[Girl]

The only spa I ever went to for sessions, about 3 times I believe, never did any type of intake. Neither did any of the practitioners even ask for any health related information,
medications or anything like that.

 

[FrEe BiRd]

The spa where i work does intake...

But what I thought Josh was referring to was session notes...
As in, we worked on the psoas and QL this session... and what you plan to address the next. Which might also allow you to see if the massage is actually helping the symptom that the client presented with.

Am I wrong? t102

 

[Dana]

I've worked at 2 spas in the past. One took and intake, but nothing more. The other didn't even have an intake.

I worked a chair massage gig for a number of years that had an intake and each time one of the recipients got worked on, there was a space on the back of the intake where I filled out what they complained of (if anything) and what areas I worked. That was more than the two spas ever had.

Here in my city, whats common to spas: no intake, no session notes.

 

[Pompal 09.]

I've never encountered them either at any spa I've ever been too.

That's fine with me. I have never used them either.

 

[jay7]

The spa that I sub at has an intake form, and a SOAP notes form that is filled out for each client. It's not detailed SOAP note. About 3 SOAPS fit on each page. Staple it to the intake form, and file it away.

Wow, I'm really surprised at spas not doing intake forms at all! I won't touch a client without doing one, or at least asking "What is your goal for the session? Any medical conditions? Taking any medications?" And I only do the verbal for seated clients. Table clients get the written form.

Emily

 

[a_hunters_wife]

Interesting on intakes... although maestra's got it, I was talking about session notes... I've seen most places do none... I've also seen an index card system where really minimal stuff was tracked, as mentioned already, things like session history (just date, length), some client preferences, etc.

 

[esa8025]

Interesting on intakes... although maestra's got it, I was talking about session notes... I've seen most places do none... I've also seen an index card system where really minimal stuff was tracked, as mentioned already, things like session history (just date, length), some client preferences, etc.

It is very rare for any of my clients to see me do session notes, so I wouldn't be surprised if they don't know that I do them. Are you speaking as a client when you say you've seen most places do none, or as an employed therapist?

 

[Kathleen from Germany]

Was speaking as a practitioner, and going on the reports of friends who work for various places around town.