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7 - Technological Advances in Clinical Assessment

Ambulatory Assessment

from Part I - General Issues in Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 December 2019

By
Timothy J. Trull ,
Sarah A. Griffin  and
Ashley C. Helle
Edited by
Martin Sellbom  and
Julie A. Suhr
Martin Sellbom
Affiliation:
University of Otago, New Zealand
Julie A. Suhr
Affiliation:
Ohio University
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Summary

The advancement and spread of technology have improved options for clinical assessment. Specifically, ambulatory assessment (AA) methods have improved the ability to assess constructs with a particular focus on intra-individual and dynamic time processes, which are highly relevant to the assessment of mood and behavior. This chapter reviews current technologies, including applications of online platforms and devices, often utilized to collect data in an AA framework, and discusses their applications within research and clinical settings (e.g., assessment of mood instability). AA has a number of benefits, including limited or no reliance on retrospective recall as well as the ability to assess context and construct of interest in the “real world,” and allows for the ability to gather rich information regarding mood, behavior, and psychophysiology as part of the clinical assessment process. Much of the clinical application of AA is in the early stages. A number of important considerations and recommendations, including data security, accessibility, and future directions, are also reviewed within the context of AA methods.

Keywords

ambulatory assessmentecological momentary assessmentassessmentecological momentary interventionmobile technologytreatmentexperience sampling method
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis , pp. 80 - 89
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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