Virtual Psychological Testing during COVID-19
Virtual Psychological Testing during COVID-19
Co-Authors: Joanna Lilley, and Tracine Smoot, Ph.D., Psychologist, Psychological Solutions
First and foremost, this is a difficult time, and it necessitates changes in how psychologists provide psychological services. Many psychologists are turning to telepractice to provide these services to clients who need therapy or a psychological evaluation. As Dr. Tracine Smoot of Psychological Solutions states,
“we maintained the position, in the past, that psychological evaluations should only be completed in person; however, because of this global pandemic, and advances in technology, we are now offering virtual psychological evaluations on a case-by-case basis and when a virtual evaluation can be provided in an ethical manner.”
This is the also case for several other Psychologists and group practices.
Psychological assessments are about much more than the test scores; they go beyond the numbers and diagnoses to really ‘tell the story’ of how a student has gotten to where they are at that exact point in time and what they need in order to move forward. The face-to-face interaction that occurs during testing sessions is an important and informative part of the evaluation process; however, during this crisis, online administration of psychological testing can be considered for students for whom face-to-face testing is not an option. Virtual testing is not ideal, yet if a client absolutely needs to be tested, there are ways to provide evaluations in an ethical manner.
For any referring professional, family, or client, a psychological evaluation can sometimes unveil a truth that redirects the ship that is therapeutic treatment. Prior to COVID-19, a lot of adolescent and young adult clients were being recommended for testing, as a way to rule in or out a diagnosis and provide information about functioning levels. Now, the concern of “how to test” is a buzz amongst referents and programs alike.
Below you will discover Psychological Solutions’ perspective on pre-COVID-19 practices, the current shifts, and ultimately the return-to-normal for Psychological testing. We encourage all referents, families, and clients to make the most informed decision regarding testing during this time.
How Psychological Testing existed prior to the COVID-19 crisis:
All of our psychological evaluations were individualized and conducted through face-to-face interactions; questionnaires; interviews with the student, parents, and therapist; and behavioral observations.
Our psychologists traveled to different programs to test students face-to-face for several hours at a time. When specialty testing was needed, face-to-face testing was typically completed over two days.
We still conduct evaluations in this face-to-face manner when we can do so safely.
How Psychological Testing has shifted during COVID-19:
Before jumping into the nuts & bolts of the changes, it’s important to highlight that the leaders in the field of psychological evaluations are recognizing the importance of providing a virtual administration option at this time. This includes leaders such as the American Psychological Association, Utah Psychology Licensing Board (where Psychological Solutions is based), and major publishing companies such as Pearson Assessments, and Riverside Publishing. These publishing companies, for example, have provided digital versions of their assessments that can be used during this crisis and have provided specific guidance on how to do so.
Based on information from these sources, here are ethical guidelines regarding virtual psychological evaluations during this crisis:
Virtual testing should be viewed as temporary and not the ‘new normal.’
Face-to-face testing is ideal and should be provided whenever possible. Once psychologists are able to provide face-to-face testing again safely, they should do so.
The measures were standardized and normed using face-to-face testing so the goal is for the virtual administration to be as similar to face-to-face testing as possible. It is important to consider how virtual administration impacted standardization and report any changes in procedures in the interpretation.
There are studies on some measures (e.g., Woodcock-Johnson IV) suggesting that scores on virtual administration are equivalent to face-to-face scores; however, equivalency studies have not been completed on all measures. This should be considered in choosing the measures.
The digital materials and procedures used during virtual testing should be provided by the publishing company to ensure that the tests are as close to standardization standards as possible. For example, psychologists using Pearson products should use the Q-Global or Q-Interactive platform rather than their own methods of digitizing the assessments.
The measures used should be carefully chosen to ensure that they are appropriate for virtual administration. The Pearson Q-Interactive tests are a good example of measures that can be used for a virtual administration.
Some types of specialty testing should be completed face-to-face; for example, neuropsychological and autism spectrum disorder evaluations need a face-to face component.
Not all programs have a setting conducive to virtual administrations; for example, virtual administration is not a viable option at many wilderness programs.
Virtual administrations should never be provided only because they are more convenient.
HIPAA requirements should be maintained during virtual administrations.
For another perspective, Dr. Joshua Cluff and his team at ClearView Psychological Services made an announcement about how they have shifted their work during this time, all the while upholding their ethical standards.
Can psychologists still do face-to-face testing during COVID19?
It depends on whether the program will allow psychologists access to the students during this time, and whether the psychologists feel safe testing face-to-face. At the time of this publication, many residential and wilderness programs are allowing psychologists to complete face-to-face testing as long as strict safety precautions are followed.
At Psychological Solutions, we are teaming with programs to follow or exceed CDC guidelines when we do test students face-to-face.
Best practices and the ethical guidelines are clear; completing psychological evaluations face-to-face is best. On the other hand, when virtual administration is done well, it can be a viable option for students who need a psychological evaluation during this crisis. The subjectivity therein lies on who needs the evaluation during this time, and which clients can wait.
For questions or comments contact:
Tracine Smoot via email .
