How should you document an electrotherapy session?

• A. Modality, parameters (frequency, pulse duration, intensity, ramp, duty cycle), treatment duration, treatment area, patient response, adverse events, and any skin changes
• B. Only the duration and equipment used
• C. The clinician's subjective impression
• D. The patient's overall medical history

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that a complete electrotherapy session note should capture the exact treatment delivered and how the patient responded, so the session can be replicated safely and progress can be tracked. Document the modality used, the specific parameters (frequency, pulse duration, intensity, ramp, and duty cycle if applicable), the total treatment duration, and the area treated. Recording the patient’s response—whether they felt relief, what sensations occurred, and any tolerability issues—along with any adverse events and any skin changes, is essential. These details matter because the dose and delivery of electrotherapy directly affect tissue response and safety, and they enable clinicians to reproduce or adjust the treatment in future sessions while monitoring for adverse reactions.

Documenting only the duration and equipment omits crucial information about dose and delivery, making it impossible to reproduce the therapy or assess its effectiveness. Relying on the clinician’s subjective impression alone lacks objective data and consistency for ongoing care. Including the patient’s overall medical history is important for context, but it does not replace the need to record what happened during the current session and how the patient tolerated the therapy.