Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination Professional Ethics and Laws 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A massage therapist is offered a commission by a supplement company for recommending their products to clients. What is the primary ethical concern?
- It violates HIPAA because client health data would be shared
- It creates a conflict of interest that could compromise client-centered care (Correct answer)
- It constitutes practicing pharmacy without a license
- It requires additional liability insurance coverage
Correct answer: It creates a conflict of interest that could compromise client-centered care
Accepting commissions for recommending products creates a financial conflict of interest that may lead to recommendations based on profit rather than client benefit.
Question 2: What does the principle of veracity require of a massage therapist?
- To maintain client records with accurate and truthful documentation (Correct answer)
- To verify client insurance coverage before each session
- To obtain testimonials from satisfied clients only
- To provide references from previous employers when requested
Correct answer: To maintain client records with accurate and truthful documentation
Veracity is the ethical principle of honesty and truthfulness, which applies to all professional communications including documentation.
Question 3: A client begins sharing detailed information about a traumatic past experience during a session. The most ethical response is to:
- Encourage the client to share more to facilitate emotional release during the massage
- Listen briefly, acknowledge their feelings, and gently redirect focus to the bodywork (Correct answer)
- Stop the session immediately and recommend psychiatric services
- Continue the massage silently to avoid reinforcing the behavior
Correct answer: Listen briefly, acknowledge their feelings, and gently redirect focus to the bodywork
Acknowledging the client's feelings while redirecting to the therapeutic work maintains boundaries without dismissing the client's experience.
Question 4: Which of the following is a mandatory reporting requirement for massage therapists in most US states?
- Reporting all client health conditions to their primary care physicians
- Reporting suspected child abuse or neglect to appropriate authorities (Correct answer)
- Reporting communicable diseases to the Centers for Disease Control
- Reporting clients who engage in illegal activity during sessions
Correct answer: Reporting suspected child abuse or neglect to appropriate authorities
Most states require healthcare workers, including massage therapists, to report suspected child abuse or neglect as mandated reporters.
Question 5: A massage therapist disagrees with a client's personal lifestyle choices. How should this affect the quality of care provided?
- The therapist may decline service if the lifestyle conflicts with personal values
- It should not affect care; the therapist must provide equal quality of service to all clients (Correct answer)
- The therapist should counsel the client on healthier lifestyle choices during the session
- The therapist may refer the client elsewhere without providing a reason
Correct answer: It should not affect care; the therapist must provide equal quality of service to all clients
Professional ethics require that therapists provide equal quality of care regardless of personal beliefs or judgments about clients' lifestyles.
Question 6: When is it appropriate for a massage therapist to break confidentiality without a court order?
- When the client's employer requests information for workers' compensation
- When the client presents a credible threat of serious harm to themselves or others (Correct answer)
- When the client's spouse asks about treatment for marital health concerns
- When another healthcare provider calls requesting treatment history
Correct answer: When the client presents a credible threat of serious harm to themselves or others
Duty to warn allows confidentiality to be broken when a client poses an imminent and credible threat of serious harm to themselves or identifiable others.
Question 7: A massage therapist's license has expired but they continue to see clients. This situation is best described as:
- A minor administrative oversight with no ethical implications
- Unauthorized practice that violates state law and professional ethics (Correct answer)
- Acceptable if the therapist has submitted the renewal application
- Permissible for up to 90 days during the grace renewal period
Correct answer: Unauthorized practice that violates state law and professional ethics
Practicing massage therapy without a current, valid license is illegal and constitutes a serious ethical violation regardless of the reason for the lapse.
Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination Professional Ethics and Laws 3
A massage therapist is offered a commission by a supplement company for recommending their products to clients.
What is the primary ethical concern?