How can we demonstrate that massage therapy interventions are valuable and of use? : A challenge for our profession
Publish Date: Sunday, 2 December 2007

Smith, J. & Smith, D.

Presentation: National Conference Platform Presentation - MNZ conference (Wellington, NZ)

The terms “outcome, or result, ending, product, conclusion or effect” are used to demonstrate accountability, appropriateness and productivity in a range of settings including health care. Massage therapy practitioners, as health care service providers, need to demonstrate effective measurement of their interventions, not only as a prerequisite to providing appropriate interventions to the clients that we serve, but also for demonstration of quality services, accountability, reimbursement for services, and continual performance improvement. But how do we define massage therapy “outcomes” and how should we measure them? Within an interactive session, we will explore:

  • What outcomes are relevant for massage therapy?
  • What outcomes carry the greatest importance to massage therapy clients?
  • What outcomes do we measure?

Finally, we ask what outcomes should we report in order for others to be able to better evaluate the effectiveness of massage therapy as a health care option? This session will provide Therapists with an overview of the challenges of outcome measurement and begin the process of developing a recognised set of measures which will characterise our profession in the future