Collect Massage Intake Forms Without The Headache

A massage intake form can be very effective in avoiding litigation from new patients or even longtime customers. If an injured person files a lawsuit against your business or your massage therapist, a proper consent form can get the case tossed quickly. Liability waivers are designed to afford businesses and your employees' protection in the event of litigation, particularly lawsuits related to negligence. Negligent hiring and negligent care are common suits. However, a properly worded intake form will, in most cases, protect your massage clinic against those claims. Waivers are usually key to a judge taking one look at a case and deciding there's no path forward toward a trial. That's why it's recommended that massage parlors, whether chain spas or local shops, have well-crafted consent forms to go with appropriate liability insurance and properly trained staff.

Be sure to work with a licensed attorney with experience in drafting client intake forms. Your attorney will evaluate how the injured customer claims they were injured. A customer could claim that their medical conditions were aggravated by massage treatment, suing a member of your staff and your business for damages. However, your attorney will look at the customer's massage therapy consent form to see if it covers that alleged negligent treatment, as well as checking that the customer's signature is on the dotted line with the understanding of certain risks. If the waiver contains that language, the attorney will file a quick motion with the court attaching that consent form and ask the judge to dismiss the case, saving tons on expensive litigation.

No spa, parlor, or licensed massage facility should operate without a massage intake form. If you don't have an intake form, you should seek the services of an attorney with a background in creating these waivers for the best documentation for your business. If you're using a massage therapy consent form that wasn't prepared by your attorney, have an experienced attorney review it to make sure it's covering your massage therapy practice in the event of any potential customer claims. A proper massage consent form should be tailored to your business, making sure that it tackles any health conditions among your clientele and any potential risks commonly associated with massage therapy.

It's not in your best interest. Think about it: You don't want to be using a form that protects someone else's business to cover yours. A massage consent form only works if it expressly warns of the risks associated with your massage clinic. Your waiver should be tailored to what your business offers, not your competition. Does your spa specialize in massages as a medical treatment, or do you use a specific type of oil or liniment that could trigger an allergic reaction? These specifics in a client intake form can spare your business from running into major hurdles in the event of legal action. General waivers for "any and all" injuries that occur in your space are just too vague and leave an opening for your business to pay damages to a customer claiming negligence. It's crucial that these waiver forms are articulated well, and a signature should always be acquired from a customer before any massage techniques are performed.

Your massage intake form should be drafted to accommodate your business whether you have one location or multiple locations. However, it's important to work with an attorney regarding the jurisdiction of those locations. Regulations for massage clinics, spas, and other massage therapy services may differ based on state, county, and even local ordinances. Most states will honor a massage consent waiver if it's properly worded, signed by a customer, and applicable to a legal claim filed. However, you may need to make some adaptations to avoid hurdles in a particular area. You also need to be aware of states that don't allow intake forms, meaning you'll have to work with an attorney to assess other options to work alongside your massage liability insurance.

Your massage intake form template should be for your business and only your business. Be as specific as you can when it comes to your massage services and other offerings to your clients. A properly informed consent form can make a tremendous difference in the long run..

A massage therapy consent form and any other forms that your business requires a customer to sign should be kept separate. While it may seem convenient for the sake of collection, it actually can work against you in a negligence lawsuit. Courts need to see that each document was reviewed separately by a customer or patient, and each should be clearly labeled. This will show that a customer took the time to offer their email address for alerts on discounts for massage therapy services while separately recognizing the massage intake waiver associated with the risk of massage treatment.

WaiverSign Note: With WaiverSign, you can create and manage multiple agreements with a single signing link. This means that you can build out separate documents for your massage consent form, your membership sign-up sheet, and any other agreements that need to be signed. Each agreement is set up for individual presentation and signing, and individual copies are sent to the customer, allowing for a clear understanding of the agreement by all parties and easy access to the document if questions or disputes should arise.

An attorney should not charge you for a consultation. This is their opportunity to get to know you and your massage clinic. Be sure to ask for referrals in your area to point you to lawyers who are experienced with drafting and understanding consent forms and waivers. If you choose to hire an attorney, be sure to ask them about their rates. Most attorneys charge by the hour, so it's important to reach an understanding with your attorney concerning confidentiality and budget. The last thing any business operator wants is to spend more on a given product or service than they intended to.

Again, this varies by how much an attorney charges hourly for their services. The hourly rate is usually in the hundreds of dollars, and most experienced lawyers are able to deliver a proper massage intake form within one to two hours. Make sure to get that estimate for the sake of your budget. Further, you will want to clearly lay out the products and services of your massage clinic, making sure that the risks are properly stated and that your massage therapists are protected in the event of possible litigation.