Asynchronous Telepractice and Ethical Conduct.

Purpose: This invited article reflects upon elements of ethical behavior during the conduct of asynchronous telepractice. Method: First, telepractice is defined, followed by the typically understood definitions of synchronous telepractice, asynchronous telepractice, and hybrid telepractice (in-perso...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups Vol. 10; no. 6; pp. 2208 - 2215
Main Authors: Cohn, Ellen R., Cason, Jana
Format: Journal Article
Published: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Dec2025
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:Purpose: This invited article reflects upon elements of ethical behavior during the conduct of asynchronous telepractice. Method: First, telepractice is defined, followed by the typically understood definitions of synchronous telepractice, asynchronous telepractice, and hybrid telepractice (in-person plus synchronous and/or asynchronous telepractice approaches). In this in-depth examination of ethical intent and behavior, the point is made that synchronous and asynchronous telepractice can be simultaneously or sequentially linked for the same clinician--client interaction. The article then presents key elements of the Code of Ethics of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, along with historical underlying ethical principles. It includes practical vignettes of model ethical conduct and conduct that violates at least one principle of ethics. Conclusions: It is important to not embrace a false or superficial dichotomy between synchronous and asynchronous telepractice when considering ethical behavior. In fact, the same ethical principles apply to both.