What is it about?
Telepractice is the use of telecommunications to deliver clinical services. This article presents telepractice fundamentals through the lens of ASHA's Code of Ethics. Tele-practitioners should uphold three over-arching principles. First, they should place the needs of their clients before those of their own. Second, clinicians must engage in ethical communication, providing clients with all of the information they need to make informed decisions. And, third, clinicians must practice in a lawful manner.
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Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Due to COVID19, there is rapidly expanding interest in telepractice. The use of telecommunication instead of in-person visits can not only avoid infection, but reduce the burdens of travel and lost wages. A client who lives in a remote area, or who cannot easily travel to a nearby clinic, can still receive timely treatment by an expert. Principles of ethics can guide clinicians in all aspects of telepractice.
Perspectives
The photo depicting bright yellow ducks in a row serves as a metaphor for the relationship between telepractice and ethics. Even before engaging in telepractice, it is important to get one's "ducks in order" to avoid ethical missteps.
Ellen Cohn
University of Pittsburgh
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Ethical Considerations for Client-Centered Telepractice, Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, August 2019, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA),
DOI: 10.1044/2019_pers-sig18-2019-0001.
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