That latest piece of technology you're thinking about weaving into your practice? Maybe it should come with a warning label.
This month, PT in Motion magazine takes a look at the ethical issues that new technologies can introduce in physical therapist practice. From seemingly offhand social media posts to the use of voice assistant devices (VADs) such as Alexa to mounting cameras in clinics, experts interviewed for the story explain the ethical considerations that need to be weighed before powering up.
"New Technology: Keeping It Ethical, Keeping It Legal" focuses on 7 general areas of technology: providing online advice, posting photos, VADs, wearable technology, use of cameras, electronic health records, and telehealth. PTs interviewed for the article include APTA Ethics and Judicial Committee Chair Bruce Greenfield, PT PhD, FAPTA; APTA Section of Health Policy and Administration member Robert Latz, PT, DPT, who's also the section's representative on the association's Frontiers in Rehabilitation, Science, and Technology Council; and Nancy Kirsch, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA, president of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy and author of PT in Motion's "Ethics in Practice" column.
As it turns out, although the technologies themselves may be new, the potential ethical pitfalls may sound familiar: issues that can be associated with new technology—such as jurisdictional permission to practice, patient privacy, records confidentiality, and honest patient communications—didn't arrive with the first computer. Longtime ethical standards still apply: the danger lies in the ways rapidly advancing technology can overshadow those standards, potentially harming patients—and ruining careers.
"New Technology: Keeping It Ethical, Keeping It Legal" is featured in the November issue of PT in Motion magazine and is open to all viewers—pass it along to nonmember colleagues to show them 1 of the benefits of belonging to APTA. Also among the content available to all viewers: "Serving Veterans Through Community Programs," a primer on care options available to military veterans.