Teleassessment in Psychological Practice: Opportunities, Challenges and Critical Considerations
Giuseppe Manuel Festa
Abstract
Teleassessment has taken on an increasingly important
role in psychological practice, representing an innovative methodology that
leverages digital technologies and remote communication tools
(videoconferencing, online platforms, dedicated software, etc.) for clinical
evaluation and the administration of psychodiagnostic tests remotely. This
approach allows for overcoming geographical and logistical barriers, improving
accessibility to psychological services and offering greater flexibility to
both professionals and users. However, teleassessment also presents numerous
challenges, including technological issues, methodological limitations,
clinical difficulties, and ethical concerns related to privacy and data
security. The present work aims to provide an overview of this methodology,
highlighting its main advantages, the remaining limitations to be addressed,
and ethical implications that require attention. Additionally, operational
guidelines for the correct and responsible use of teleassessment are presented,
emphasizing the importance of specific training and empirical validation of
tools to ensure the quality and reliability of remote assessments. Finally,
future prospects offered by the evolution of immersive technologies are
discussed, which could further revolutionize psychological clinical practice.