Ethical Challenges of Using Virtual Environments in the Assessment and Treatment of Psychopathological Disorders

Overview

Journal J Clin Med

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2021 Jan 27

PMID 33498255

Citations 10

Authors

Thomas D Parsons

Affiliations

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Abstract

Clinicians are increasingly interested in the potential of virtual environments for research and praxes. Virtual environments include both immersive and non-immersive simulations of everyday activities. Moreover, algorithmic devices and adaptive virtual environments allow clinicians a medium for personalizing technologies to their patients. There is also increasing recognition of social virtual environments that connect virtual environments to social networks. Although there has been a great deal of deliberation on these novel technologies for assessment and treatment, less discourse has occurred around the ethical challenges that may ensue when these technologies are applied clinically. In this paper, some of the ethical issues involved in the clinical use of novel technologies are discussed.

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