SOAP Notes for Massage Therapy Template
A SOAP note template for massage therapists looking to streamline their clinical documentation while improving accuracy and effectiveness.
Fact Checked by RJ Gumban.
What is Massage Therapy SOAP Notes Template?
Writing progress notes is an essential component of working as a massage therapist. Progress notes are a type of clinical documentation that help massage therapists keep track of patient progress by detailing the important aspects of each session. One of the best ways you can organize and streamline this note-taking progress is by using the SOAP note format. SOAP notes separate relevant information into four different sections:
Subjective: The first section includes the patient’s subjective statements regarding their chief complaint. In this section, it can be a good idea to include direct quotes from the patient regarding their complaint, symptoms, and how their day-to-day life is being impacted.
Objective: In this section, you should include any observations you make about the patient’s behavior and affect. This information needs to be observable and measurable, and should include any tests or examinations you conduct.
Assessment: The assessment is essentially a synthesis of the first two sections. You want to include your interpretation or analysis of the subjective and objective information you have received.
Plan: Finally this section outlines the future plan for the patient, including follow-up sessions, referrals, and any changes made to the treatment plan.
As you can see, the SOAP format is a useful and intuitive way of organizing progress notes. Regardless of the number of massage therapy customers that your practice has, utilizing the SOAP note template is guaranteed to improve your workflow, productivity, and overall communication.
Printable SOAP Notes for Massage Therapy Template
Check out these SOAP note templates for massage therapists to improve your progress notes, productivity, and massage therapy outcomes.
How to Use This SOAP Note Template for Massage Therapy
The SOAP note template has been designed to simplify the process of writing clinical documentation at your massage therapy practice. By following these four steps, you will be able to get the most out of the SOAP note template and easily create accurate and effective massage therapy notes.
Step One: Download the PDF
Before you can edit the SOAP note template, you need to download the PDF by clicking on the link we’ve included on this page. From here, you’ll be able to access and edit the template.
Step Two: Write the SOAP note
After you have a session with a client, it’s time to write their SOAP note. If you access the PDF template, you’ll be able to input information into the four SOAP sections. The formatting of the document has already been completed, so all you have to do is organize your notes according to the different sections.
Step Three: Include credentials
Every massage therapy SOAP note needs to have the following credentials; the patient’s name, the time/date of the session and your own professional credentials. This helps you organize your documentation and ensure it is easily accessible to relevant third-parties.
Step Four: Save the SOAP note securely
SOAP notes contain ePHI and as such, they need to be stored in a secure way. Using an EHR or practice management software that has secure storage capabilities will help ensure your patient’s privacy is protected at all times. You can also store your SOAP notes on your computer, but it’s essential that they are password protected and only accessible to authorized users. Any breach of this is considered a HIPAA violation, the consequences of which are serious.
Massage Therapy SOAP Note Example (Sample)
Sometimes the best way to understand how something works is to look at an example, which is why we’ve created a sample massage therapy SOAP note using our own template. This should give you an insight into how the SOAP note template works and the type of information you should include.
Download this Massage Therapy SOAP Note Example here:
Who Can Use This Massage Therapy Template?
Many people are under the misconception that all massage therapy is the same, but this isn’t the case at all. There is a range of different specializations within the massage therapy field, all of which apply diverse techniques within their services. These include:
- Deep tissue massage therapy
- Sports massage therapy
- Shiatsu massage therapy
- Hot stone massage therapy
- Pregnancy massage therapy
- Swedish massage therapy
Regardless of the specific kind of massage therapy that you are trained in, our SOAP note template will be suitable for your practice. While the specific treatment and interventions that you apply will differ, the general SOAP note structure remains the same. This makes it suitable for all kinds of massage therapies, and also all kinds of patients: including children, teenagers, and adults.
Why is This Template Useful For Massage Therapists?
The day-to-day life of a massage therapist can be very busy. In addition to having sessions with clients, many of which will be back-to-back, massage therapists are required to complete a range of different administrative tasks, including writing documentation. Here are some of the ways our professional SOAP note template will be useful for massage therapists:
- Organization: Staying organized is the only way that massage therapists will be able to get through all of their daily tasks. Using the SOAP note template will make organization much easier, as the formatting of documentation is already completed for you.
- Save time: Juggling many different tasks is understandably time-consuming. With this SOAP note resource, massage therapists can reduce the amount of time they spend writing notes, which can instead be spent completing more pressing tasks.
- Accuracy: With the SOAP note template, massage therapists can ensure they are including all of the right information regarding their sessions with clients. Because the sections have already been written down, it’s impossible to miss out any important details, facilitating better overall accuracy within your documents.
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Why Use Carepatron for Massage Therapists SOAP Note?
Writing documentation as a massage therapist can be very time-consuming, which is why it is in your best interest to find solutions that streamline this process. Carepatron’s SOAP note template has been designed to do just this; it is a simple and intuitive design that organizes the formatting for you, allowing you to elevate your productivity. If you are looking to further enhance the processes at your massage therapy practice, Carepatron has a lot more to offer. In addition to SOAP note templates, Carepatron has an advanced voice-to-text transcription software, as well as highly secure storage capabilities. These allow you to stay compliant at all times, while also improving the accuracy and effectiveness of your clinical documents.
Carepatron is also integrated with other practice management tools, including medical billing, patient engagement, online payments, appointment scheduling, and automated reminders. These will help your practice target various areas that require improvement, ultimately elevating the quality of work and helping you to save countless hours of valuable time.
Commonly asked questions
Yes, it is a legal requirement that all patients can access their SOAP notes. For this reason, it is extremely important that you remain professional and objective in your documentation. Do not include any observation that isn’t supported by evidence, and omit judgemental language, abbreviations and jargon that aren’t easily understood.
Yes, there are HIPAA regulations that apply to SOAP notes. You are legally required to write progress notes and you also must store these in a safe and secure way. Because SOAP notes contain confidential data, it is imperative that you have electronic and physical safeguards in place to ensure the protection of your patients.
If you make a mistake on your SOAP note, you should draw a single line through the error, and then write the date and your initials. This ensures that the process of making the error and why it was changed remains clear to any third-parties that may view the document.
