Massage Therapy Journal Fall 2024

Fall 2024 • 49

to read and use the information they are given. Improving access to information in the massage profession can help both clients and service providers “speak the same language.” The following strategies can be incorporated into all aspects of your practice to make information more understandable and usable for your clients. • Conduct a Health Literacy Assessment . Examine current materials such as handouts, forms, brochures, education and signage, to identify where improvements are needed. One great way to do this is to shadow a client or walk through the entire client process from when they enter your office to when they leave. • Create a Welcoming Environment . All clients should feel welcomed and comfortable at each stage of the massage experience―from the reception area to the consultation area, the bathroom and finally to the massage room. Signage should be easy to understand with good use of graphics and minimal text. Be sure to offer assistance with filling out forms. • Improve Written and Spoken Communication . The third principle of UD encourages using plain language to improve accessibility. Clients understand information better when they hear it. This is why a verbal consultation after the client completes the intake form is recommended. • When speaking with a client, provide explicit instructions. • Listen carefully without interrupting and use words the client uses to describe their goals and preferences. • Encourage questions. • Confirm comprehension by asking clients

in plain language also saves time and improves responses on forms, including the client intake form. There are many ways to incorporate plain language into your practice. These suggestions can be used on your website, brochures, questionnaires and consent forms. 28 • Keep it short . Keep sentence length to 20 words or less. Express one point per sentence. Using bullet points may be helpful. Paragraphs should be no longer than three or four sentences. Keep the content at a sixth-grade or lower reading level. • Arrange importance . Put the most important information at the beginning. This is called the B-L-U-F method or “Bottom Line Up Front.” This technique was originally developed and practiced by all branches of the U.S. military to ensure the messaging in memos and other forms of communication was clear and concise. • Use common, everyday words . Use “help” and not “assist” or “facilitate.” Use “before” and not “prior” or “previously.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has an online word generator to help you find plain word alternatives. • Minimize abbreviations and acronyms . These are intended to shorten long phrases but are often used as nicknames and may confuse clients who are unfamiliar with them. Abbreviations and acronyms standard to the massage profession include NMT, PROM and SCM. If they must be used, define it the first time it is used. For example, “The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA).” • Avoid jargon . Jargon is the use of specific words or expressions by a particular profession; however, such references are not familiar to the everyday person. Jargon in the massage profession that may be confusing for clients includes words such as bodywork, myofascial and somatic. Therapists should strike a balance between speaking professionally and being sensitive to terminology during discussions with

It is best to take a “universal precautions” approach and assume that all clients may need help understanding the information presented to them.

to repeat the information using their own words until you are confident they understand. Be sensitive to the culture, customs and beliefs of the clients.

• The Plain Writing Act of 2010 requires federal agencies to use plain language when communicating with the public. Plain language is not unprofessional communication or a method of “dumbing down” the message. Plain language accommodates a wide range of literacy and language skills. Communicating

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