Hands Heal: Communication, Documentation, and Insurance Billing for Manual Therapists (LWW Massage Therapy and Bodywork Educational Series) [Paperback]

Diana L. Thompson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0781757576 | ISBN-13: 978-0781757577 | Publication Date: June 9, 2005 | Edition: Third

The Third Edition of this widely used text provides manual therapists with much-needed guidance on taking client histories, setting functional goals, communicating with health care and legal professionals, documenting outcomes, and billing insurance companies. This edition includes crucial information on HIPAA regulations, new and updated blank forms, and lists of codes for self-referred patients and for insurance verification forms.

Reader-friendly features include sidebars, case studies, chapter summaries, and useful appendices. A front-of-book CD-ROM includes the blank forms for use in practice, a quick-reference abbreviation list, and a quiz tool to review key concepts. Faculty ancillaries are available upon adoption.

Product Details

• Paperback: 366 pages
• Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Third edition (June 9, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781757576
• ISBN-13: 978-0781757577
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #552,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars obsession with documentation is now the future of massage..., July 10, 2002

By 

Julie Onofrio "Julie Onofrio www.thebodyworke... (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hands Heal: Communication, Documentation, and Insurance Billing for Manual Therapists (Paperback)

Her first edition of "Hands Heal" was a collection of forms used for charting massage therapy sessions. When I saw the new book on the shelf being three times as thick as the first I thought "Oh my what more can be done with charting!" I now understand her obsession with charting. It is not just charting your sessions, but learning to communicate what you do, so the medical community and the public will begin to understand massage therapy as a healing modality. Communication starts with the therapeutic relationship with the client. Healing begins when the client becomes involved in the process. Then you can pass the information along to all parties involved - the lawyers, the doctors, whoever. If you document every treatment, you will be able to find out what is working and what is not with each individual. Documentation can assist you in builing your practice and support the massage profession as a whole. I particularly liked the section on ethics as she supports the idea of peer groups, mentoring and supervision as a means of development for the practitioner. I believe the future of the profession lies in those areas.
If you are a massage therapist in any state, this will guide you to a successful practice whether you are involved in billing insurance companies or not.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great reference!, September 29, 2006

By 

Steven Albertson "Massage Therapist" (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hands Heal: Communication, Documentation, and Insurance Billing for Manual Therapists (LWW Massage Therapy and Bodywork Educational Series) (Paperback)

I've watched this book evolve over a number of versions. Each one gets better and better. Yes, at times Dianna Thompson appears obsessive but on the other hand, that's what makes it great. Recently I was asked to write a detailed case summary that will be used as evidence in a lawsuit for a client I saw over a year ago. My SOAP notes are what saved the day for me. Thanks Diana. This book is essential for anyone working in a therapeutic environment.

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must buy for every massage therapist, August 15, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Hands Heal: Communication, Documentation, and Insurance Billing for Manual Therapists (Paperback)

I'm a massage therapist and used part of this book to study for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB). This book is really helpful for showing you how to take a client history. This book is needed because it shows you the legalities and proper way to run a massage business. Documenation protects you in cases of audits and also is a source for assessing the client's progress and contraindications. I also studied the following for the National Certification Exam:
The Ultimate Study Guide for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork: Key Review Questions and Answers (Volume 1), (Volume 2), and (Volume 3)
(Author: Patrick Leonardi)
The last 3 books helped me to prepare for the type of questions encountered on the national certification examination. I highly recommend all 4 books. I passed the first time with the help of these books