A Telepsychology Primer

Sara Smucker Barnwell, PhD

Citation

Smucker Barnwell, S. (2019). A telepsychology primer. Journal of Health Service Psychology, 45, 48–56.

Abstract

Psychologists may be hesitant to use telepsychology to increase patient care access not only due to unfamiliarity with technological platforms and their utilization, but also due to uncertainty of additional telepsychology requirements. Telepsychology, the provision of psychological services using telecommunication technology, is a burgeoning area and increasingly part of mainstream practice. The following article outlines core aspects of ethical telepsychology service provision. The author operationalizes terms, outlines key ethical and legal considerations, and discusses various aspects of implementation and logistics (e.g., inclusion criteria, technology selection, documentation, and emergency planning). The author focuses on specific aspects of videoconferencing and telephone service provision.

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