Humber Research is pleased to announce that Humber faculty Amanda Baskwill has been awarded a Canadian CAM Research Fund (CCRF) grant from the Canadian Interdisciplinary Network for Complementary & Alternative Medicine Research (IN-CAM) to investigate the use of an information video to improve the experience of massage therapy patients.

This project will investigate the effect of showing an educational video to patients visiting a massage therapy student clinic for the first time. Baskwill, a faculty member in the School of Hospitality, Recreation, & Tourism, and Bryn Sumpton, a co-investigator at the Registered Massage Therapists’ Association of Ontario, anticipate that providing a video, instead of only written information, will better educate patients on what to expect in their treatment—ultimately leading to better patient satisfaction, preparedness, mood, and empowerment. Baskwill says that “if patients understand the nature and purpose of the assessment and treatment process that is a part of massage therapy, they may be more empowered to ask questions, feel less anxious about the experience, and feel more satisfied with the overall appointment.”

The study is expected to benefit not only patients who attend the massage therapy clinic, but also student massage therapists who will have new opportunities for feedback and improvement when completing assessments and treatments. Additionally, students in Humber’s Massage Therapy Advanced Diploma program will be hired to work as research assistants and will gain practical research experience in their field of study. If successful, the study has the potential to benefit other student therapists, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine therapists, in developing similar patient educational videos, which would in turn benefit other patients.

Congratulations to grant recipient Amanda Baskwill, and thank you to all the students and partners who have and will continue to collaborate on this exciting project.