Massage Intake Forms: Everything You Should Include 

Simplify Your Massage Therapy Intake Form with These Important Tips & Details 

Key Takeaways 

• Massage intake forms are vital for you to customize treatments effectively, providing detailed insights into each client’s specific needs. 
• Switching to digital forms can save you time and reduce paperwork, streamlining admin and making your clinic more efficient. 
• Digital body maps allow you to visually pinpoint and address your clients’ specific areas of pain for more precise treatments. 
• Digital integration keeps your client information organized and easily accessible, ensuring you have the latest details at your fingertips for each session. 
• Customizing digital forms allows you to maintain your clinic’s professional image and adapt the forms to your specific operational needs. 

Your massage intake form is one of the most insightful tools you have at your disposal. It offers everything you need to know about your client, right at your fingertips, to help you provide the best treatment possible.   

However, it’s easy to overlook the essential fields that make the form truly useful. In your unique industry, there are specific details that can’t be overlooked.  

To help you get started, this guide will show you exactly what to include in your forms to ensure every client gets the care they deserve. 

What Makes Massage Therapy Intake Forms Unique? 

All intake forms include fields for basic information, like name, address, and date of birth. However, depending on the industry, intake forms can (and should) differ.  

Massage forms go further in collecting personal details like pain points, health histories, and medical conditions that can influence treatment. These details are vital — not just for addressing individual concerns but for keeping your clients safe.  

Moreover, what also sets a massage therapy intake form apart is its focus on the therapeutic relationship. It asks about the client’s previous massage experiences, their expectations for the session, and their immediate and long-term wellness goals.  

If you include these details, you can get the insight you need to customize each session, meet specific goals, and improve client satisfaction. 

What to Include in Your Massage Intake Form 

To get the most out of every appointment, always be sure to include these important fields: 

1. Basic Information 

Gather details like the client’s name, phone number, email address, and emergency contact. It’s also helpful to ask for their pronouns and gender identity, and whether they have a masseuse preference. 

2. Prior Treatment 

Include questions about the client’s previous massage experiences — what type of massage they received, how long ago it was, and their feedback on these experiences. This way, you can avoid previous discomforts and replicate positive aspects in their current experience. 

3. Medical Information 

Ask about any allergies, especially to ingredients commonly found in massage oils or lotions, as well as any medical history that could affect the massage, such as injuries or skin conditions. 

4. Pain Hotspots 

Provide a section for clients to collaborate in their care by specifying areas of pain or discomfort, which will help in focusing the massage on these critical spots. For example, IntakeQ allows you to create a question in your forms using the Body Map / Drawing feature. 

How to Set Up a Massage Intake Form with IntakeQ 

Ideally, you should choose a provider that allows you to fully customize your forms to ask the most relevant questions. For example, IntakeQ’s online intake forms are 100% customizable, so you can tailor them to suit your clinic’s unique needs. Here are five simple steps to get started: 

1. Go Paperless 

If you’re currently using paper intake forms, IntakeQ makes it easy to switch to digital. Begin by converting your existing paper forms into digital versions, or design new ones from scratch that meet the specific needs of your practice.  

2. Customize Forms Your Way 

If you choose to create forms from scratch (or you want to tweak your current ones), IntakeQ’s flexible templates allow you to customize your forms to match the specific needs of your practice. You can add or modify questions, adjust the layout, and integrate your brand’s colors and logo to make the forms look like a seamless extension of your business. 

3. Get e-Signatures 

Once your forms are digital, incorporate consent forms and enable electronic signatures to eliminate the need for any paper during the intake process. This simplifies the intake process, streamlines your operations, and improves the client experience by making administrative tasks quicker and easier. 

4. Set Up the iPad 

For clinics that prefer in-person completion, set up the digital forms on an iPad in your waiting room. It’s a convenient way for patients to fill out their forms just before their appointment, making the process efficient and user-friendly. 

5. Integrate Forms & Scheduling 

To further optimize your practice management, integrate your digital forms with IntakeQ’s scheduling module. This integration enables clients to automatically receive the intake package when they book an appointment online, ensuring that all information is up-to-date and easily accessible. 

Don’t Forget About Security 

In healthcare, you can never be too careful with patient information. As you optimize your massage clinic’s intake forms, consider how you handle the sensitive information you’re gathering. It’s important to comply with HIPAA guidelines or relevant privacy laws in your region to protect patient data and avoid legal complications. If using physical forms, keep them in a secure, locked location. For digital forms, it’s essential to ensure that your software provider offers robust security measures. 

Choosing a provider like IntakeQ can enhance security, as it includes features designed to protect client data. IntakeQ ensures that all digital documents are stored securely and that privacy standards are met, giving you and your clients peace of mind. 

Make the Best Choice for Your Massage Therapy Clinic 

Intake forms are essential for any massage therapy clinic, serving as the foundation for both the client experience and the effectiveness of the treatments provided. They can help you streamline admin while ensuring you have all the necessary information to address client needs safely and effectively. And when you’re able to capture more detailed client information, you can tailor your approach to each client, improving both satisfaction and outcomes. 

IntakeQ offers a flexible and comprehensive solution that makes it easier to create and manage intake forms. With its fully customizable templates, easy digital integration, and robust security measures, IntakeQ helps you streamline your intake process while maintaining a high standard of client care. This platform adapts to your specific needs, making it an ideal choice for massage therapy clinics looking to improve efficiency and client engagement. 

Is your clinic ready for a smoother intake process? Try IntakeQ for free today and take the first step towards a more streamlined and effective system. 

References 

Alder, S. (2024, February 9). HIPAA Compliance Checklist. HIPAA Journal. https://www.hipaajournal.com/hipaa-compliance-checklist/ 

Scherrer, K. H., Ziadni, M. S., Kong, J.-T., Sturgeon, J. A., Salmasi, V., Hong, J., Cramer, E., Chen, A. L., Pacht, T., Olson, G., Darnall, B. D., Kao, M.-C., & Mackey, S. (2021). Development and Validation of the Collaborative Health Outcomes Information Registry Body Map. PAIN Reports, 6(1), e880. https://doi.org/10.1097/pr9.0000000000000880