Patient‐targeted googling by psychological therapists: A narrative review of the literature and ethical implications

Cox, Kathryn E.; Simonds, Laura M.; Moulton‐Perkins, Alesia

Background Method Results Discussion “Patient‐Targeted Googling” (PTG) refers to a healthcare professional using the Internet to discover information about a patient. The present review explores PTG by psychological therapists. The review focused on the prevalence of PTG, how often consent is sought from the patient, and the motivations for and consequences of PTG.A narrative literature review of published PTG studies was undertaken. Potentially eligible studies were identified by searching PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, and MEDLINE. Results were screened for suitability for inclusion in the sample (n = 9). All studies were appraised for quality using a structured tool developed for this review.PTG prevalence rates ranged from 20% to 98%, with rates of non‐consent ranging from 60% to 84%. Motivations for PTG included curiosity, to gather new information and to verify existing information. Consequences of PTG included enhancing the therapist's sense of safety and causing harm to the therapeutic relationship.Current literature on PTG is limited and focussed largely in the United States. This review revealed no published PTG studies including UK‐based psychological therapists, as well as issues in defining and operationalising PTG. Further research is needed to understand the prevalence of PTG by UK‐based psychological therapists, as well as the motivations behind, and consequences of, PTG. This evidence base will inform the development of PTG professional guidelines and training, neither of which currently exist for therapists practising in the UK. Both would be timely given the increasing move of the therapeutic frame to the online environment due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Counselling & Psychotherapy Research is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)