OVERVIEW

A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Malpractice is organized by American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA).

Overview:
Learn how you can protect yourself from legal malpractice action. Even the best massage therapists make mistakes or are perceived by a client as having caused injury through their professional services. This course includes actions you should take if you suspect you’ll be sued — or if it comes to pass that you are actually sued.

Learn what you can do to safeguard yourself and your practice in the face of a malpractice lawsuit. When you finish this course you will be able to:
• Explain the value of maintaining an objective view during a malpractice lawsuit.
• Define when clients sue.
• Cite a legal description of malpractice.
• Describe the four forms of malpractice negligence.
• Identify the first step to take in the event of an adverse incident.
• List four guidelines for making incident reports.
• State two goals of a malpractice investigation.
• Describe two ways to decrease the stress of an investigation through each of legal, self-care and self-protection means.
• Delineate three useful ways to participate in a malpractice investigation.
• Review five ways to mitigate the blame attached to you in a malpractice lawsuit.

Lessons:
• When You Make a Mistake
• Reporting an Incident
• Incident Report Confidentiality
• Your Management of and Response to an Investigation
• Considerations for a Malpractice Lawsuit
• Malpractice Negligence
• Participating in your Defense
• Mitigation Defense Strategies