In this electronic age, many patients require their health care providers to be available on-line, and this may pose problems for professionals. Not the least of these is determining standards for privileged communication through electronic media. Before the advent of on-line practice, each profession had to establish vitally important standards, both for professional integrity as well as the safety of the patient.
Now we are in new territory. For example, email is not, in the traditional sense (or any sense), confidential. Yet doctor/patient communication is, above all, confidential. How will this be negotiated?
According to a paper presented at the US Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress, in mid-November, 2006 in New Orleans, rules governing electronic communication between doctors and patients are far from clear, but some organizations have issued guidelines concerning email.
As an example, the presenter made the suggestion that mental health care professionals establish with patients what kinds of communication are appropriate for e-mails and other electronic communication.
Follow the link below to see the guidelines proposed by the American Medical Association (AMA). Other organizations, such as the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), have also suggested email guidelines.
Patients (clients) using email and other forms of electronic communications with their therapists and doctors should be sure their practitioners are subscribing to guidelines and standards (such as they are) for their own protection. Ask your practitioner about it.
del.icio.us
Digg this
