I sat within 10 yards of a colleague who carried on his private forensic practice via cell phone, confirming and scheduling appointments with clients whose names he made no effort to protect. Given the increasing use
of access technologies, on which we have all come to depend, commensurate caution and courtesy is clearly warranted.
It is bad enough to have colleagues who appear to have such a poor sense of their own boundaries, but who also seem to disregard the other ethical and legal implications of breaches of confidentiality in the careless use of the newest communication technologies.
We are rarely so important that coverage cannot be provided for a few hours. The world of professional
practice can survive without us until the next coffee break. The balance between accessibility, courtesy and confidentiality is a non-negotiable responsibility of being a psychologist in our new technological age. Please put the cell phone on vibrate and consider that telephone booths are still a good idea.
J. SCOTT ROBERTSON, PHD
Lubbock, Texas
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