How do you handle PT assessments in terms of payments?
Do you include assessments as part of a package? Are your assessments free/included with other purchased sessions? Do you charge for a session for your assessment? Do you have clients who don’t want an assessment (even though they should have one)? Do you require one? Any help on this topic would be great!
Hi Kelly,
I include assessments as part of a package and do not charge clients an extra fee. The assessments give you a baseline from which to plan their programming and progression, and I personally feel it should be included in the fee of their package (but that’s just my opinion!)
You may have clients who feel intimidated or embarrassed by assessments–and you may have clients who won’t actually need a comprehensive evaluation. You may have clients who are motivated to change by the results of their assessment. Each client is different and you will have to determine the proper assessments for them. However, at the very least you should require a completed health risk appraisal and any medical clearance if necessary.
That being said, I do try to gather as much information as I can in order to plan their program. I always try to make a client feel comfortable and explain the reason for the assessment (a starting point for their program), as well as how we can use the information to track progress in the future. Some of my clients enjoy going back to review the initial assessment results because it shows them how much progress they’ve made.
I hope this information helps you!
Christine