Promise and perils of digital psychiatry.

Internet interventions and digital tools like cellular phones have tremendous potential to affect patient care positively; effects are rapidly expanding around the world, including in Asia (Aggarwal, 2012). However, in utilizing digital tools, such as text messaging or telepsychiatry, psychiatrists must be cognizant of the risks that their technology use may infringe on duties to maintain clinical, ethical, and legal standards of care. Because technologies, such as social media, are advancing at rates that may outpace professional or legal/ethical standards, it is difficult for clinicians to remain current with best practices; this difficulty affects many digital psychiatric tools, including text messaging, email, video chatting, social networking, websites, and blogs. This article aims to provide clinicians with information regarding potential pitfalls in technology usage, as well as to offer suggestions to ameliorate risk. Of course, nothing in this article should be construed as legal advice.