Background “Patient‐Targeted Googling” (PTG) refers to a healthcare professional using the Internet to discover information about a patient. The present review explores PTG by psychological therapists. The review focused on the prevalence of PTG, how often consent is sought from the patient, and the motivations for and consequences of PTG. Method A narrative literature review of published PTG studies was undertaken. Potentially eligible studies were identified by searching PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, and MEDLINE. Results were screened for suitability for inclusion in the sample (n = 9). All studies were appraised for quality using a structured tool developed for this review. Results PTG prevalence rates ranged from 20% to 98%, with rates of non‐consent ranging from 60% to 84%. Motivations for PTG included curiosity, to gather new information and to verify existing information. Consequences of PTG included enhancing the therapist's sense of safety and causing harm to the therapeutic relationship. Discussion Current literature on PTG is limited and focussed largely in the United States. This review revealed no published PTG studies including UK‐based psychological therapists, as well as issues in defining and operationalising PTG. Further research is needed to understand the prevalence of PTG by UK‐based psychological therapists, as well as the motivations behind, and consequences of, PTG. This evidence base will inform the development of PTG professional guidelines and training, neither of which currently exist for therapists practising in the UK. Both would be timely given the increasing move of the therapeutic frame to the online environment due to the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Therapist-targeted googling (TTG) refers to a patient searching online to find information about their therapist. The present study investigated TTG prevalence and characteristics in a sample of adult psychotherapy clients. Participants (n = 266) who had attended at least one session with a therapist completed an anonymous online survey about TTG prevalence, motivations, and perceived impact on the therapeutic relationship. Two-thirds of the sample had conducted TTG. Those participants who were having therapy privately had worked with more than one therapist, or were having sessions more often than weekly were significantly more likely to conduct TTG; this profile was particularly common among patients who were having psychodynamic psychotherapy. Motivations included wanting to see if the therapist is qualified, curiosity, missing the therapist, and wanting to know them better. Nearly a quarter who undertook TTG thought the findings impacted the therapeutic relationship but only one in five had disclosed TTG to the therapist. TTG beyond common sense consumerism can be conceptualized as a patient's attempt to attain closeness to the therapist but may result in impacts on trust and ability to be open. Disclosures of TTG may constitute important therapeutic material. Public Significance StatementThis study suggests that there are multiple motivations for clients searching online for information about their therapist. It highlights the need for practitioners to carefully consider the information available about them online and the importance of client searching to the therapeutic relationship.
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