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Do Therapists Google Their Patients? A Survey Among Psychotherapists
Christiane Eichenberg1, Philipp Y Herzberg
1Department of Psychology, Sigmund Freud University, Vienna, Austria. christiane@rz-online.de.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
|January 7, 2016
Summary
Most German psychotherapists have not considered patient-targeted googling (PTG), yet many engage in it. Education and ethical guidelines are needed to address this practice.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychotherapy Ethics
- Digital Health
Background:
- Patient-targeted googling (PTG) is an emerging practice among psychotherapists due to increased internet use.
- Little empirical research exists on PTG, particularly in Europe, and it is absent from current ethical guidelines.
- PTG raises complex ethical issues for psychotherapists and patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate German psychotherapists' behaviors and experiences with PTG.
- To analyze how sociodemographic and therapeutic factors influence PTG practices.
- To explore therapists' perceptions of appropriate and inappropriate circumstances for PTG.
Main Methods:
- A newly developed questionnaire assessed PTG experience and views.
- 207 psychotherapists completed the online survey.
- The sample was a nonrepresentative convenience sample recruited via German-speaking therapy platforms.
Main Results:
- 84.5% of therapists had not actively considered PTG.
- 39.6% admitted to searching for patient information online.
- Only 2.4% encountered PTG during their professional training.
Conclusions:
- PTG should be integrated into psychotherapists' education and training.
- Ethical codes need to address PTG to provide explicit guidance.
- This study initiates a debate on PTG and offers suggestions for ethical considerations.
Keywords:
Interneteducational curriculumpatient-targeted googling (PTG)patient-therapist relationshipprofessional-patient relationship, professional guidelinesMore Related Videos
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