In developed societies, we can notice an explosion of scientific advances. In this field, the technological prowess and innovations are being developed all the time ; at such point that we are all witnesses an upheaval and a redesign of many professional practices. New technological tools appear, including for psychologists. Thus, telepsychology emerges and modifies the way to perceive the psychic subject. Indeed, without going into futuristic ideas, the use of the Internet, videoconferencing applications, e-mails, telephone sessions, etc., is growing up. But is this totally safe ? How can we ensure the ethics and the notion of confidentiality with these exchanges and storage of insecured data on the network ?
Telepsychology has the potential to increase the scope of psychology (especially in rural areas), the individualization of services and the productivity. However, it also has the potential to increase the risk of confidentiality breach’s, mutliplicate the probalities of adverse effects for the client and complicate some services (Boyle & Gamble, 2014). It was in Australia that Gamble’s study was conducted (Gamble, Boyle & Morris, 2015) : the aim of this article is to consider potentialy ethical problems and drifts for patients treated with technological and Internet based services. Although today these tools are already used by some psychologists, the theoretical and practical ethical implication of these methods of communication requieres particular alertness.
The initial development of remote healthcare services occurred using the phone in the 1970s. Some professionals began using it as a therapeutic communication device. With the advent of Internet, connected smartphones and tablet computers, the risks have intensified. This article highlights that many telepsychology techniques can subtly disclose customer information to third parties or information providers. The Internet is an open environment and a lot of information that passes through it is not encrypted. It is unethical, in most cases, for a psychologist to interact socially online with a client (eg by accepting them as a friend on Facebook). So, telepsychology is at an ethical frontier and must be used with vigilance. Therefore, in a short to medium term, psychologists who choose to use Internet telepsychology will need to maximize confidentiality using conventional Internet tools.
There is multiple risks of this use. For example, in 2013, more than 60% of US e-mails were opened using a mobile device (MovableInk, 2014). According to the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (2014), more than 100,000 mobile phones are lost or stolen every year. Therefore, psychologists should take care to assess what security measures can be taken to protect the privacy of their clients, if they are using telepsychology activities with mobile devices.
Another example of possible drift would be the use of emoticons. Clients who master this practice and who possess a limited emotional vocabulary can benefit from the potential of adding emotional depth to this communication. But psychologists must refrain from using emoticons themselves, so that professional boundaries are maintained. Graphic communication can only be one-way.
Nevertheless, telepsychology can have advantages. Developers of future applications, specifically for telepsychology, could consider the ability to activate a customer’s GPS in an emergency situation to help alert appropriate services.
New technologies such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence (Luxton, 2014), social media and mobile technology (Morris & Aguilera, 2012) will soon be used on a larger scale in the context of telepsychology. These technologies will bring new ethical challenges. It is essential that psychologists have adequate training, clinical and technical knowledge regarding the communication tools they use in telepsychology.
As a result, the risks associated with the collection, transmission, access and storage of patient data are key aspects that require further clarification. In this sense, both psychologists and clients should take security precautions (such as complex passwords and not stay connected to services, Byington and McGee, 2014). It is also up to the psychologist to ensure that the risks and benefits are properly transmitted and taken into account by the patient. And he should support development of more secured communication tools : it is a major social issue for the future of psychology.
Bibliography :
Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (2014). Lost and stolen phones. Retrieved from http://www.amta.org.au/pages/ Lost.and.stolen.phones
Boyle, C., & Gamble, N. (2014). Ethical practice in applied psychology. Melbourne : Oxford University Press.
Byington, J. R., & McGee, J. A. (2014). Data security and the cloud. Journal of Corporate Accounting & Finance, 25(5), 41–44. doi:10.1002/jcaf.21971
Gamble, N., Boyle, C., & Morris, Z. A. (2015). Ethical Practice in Telepsychology. Australian Psychologist, 50(4), 292-298. https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12133
Luxton, D. (2014). Artificial intelligence in psychological practice: current and future applications and. Professional Psychology: Research & Practice, 45(5), 332–339. doi:10.1037/a0034559
Morris, M. E., & Aguilera, A. (2012). Mobile, social and wearable computing and the evolution of psychological practice. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 43, 622–626. doi:10.1037/a0029041
MovableInk, (2014). US consumer device preference report: Q2 2013. Retrieved from http://www.info.movableink.com/ Device-Report-Q2-2013
LOTIN Caroline, MANCEAU Gabrielle, MARIEZ Julie
