Mobile applications for client use: Ethical and legal considerations.

This article identifies best practices for incorporating apps into treatment, including competence in the use of smartphones in general and familiarity with the specific apps recommended. Psychologists must conduct informed consent procedures in accordance with existing evidence, as well as privacy and security concerns relating to a particular app, in order to mitigate potential liability regarding the collection of client-generated data. Psychologists also should be prepared to educate clients about how best to safeguard their data, such as through encryption, password protection, or remote deletion of data. By doing so, psychologists can balance potentially competing demands of leveraging emerging technology to improve care while simultaneously ensuring ethical and legal compliance in these new areas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
Source: Psychological Services - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research