Integrating Digital Health Data into Clinical Practice: Perspectives and Practical Recommendations

Digital health data or ambulatory assessment (AA) data collected using digital devices (e.g., smartphones, active watches, or other health-trackers) provides innovative opportunities for psychotherapists to assess symptoms, experiences, and psychotherapy processes outside of session, ultimately strengthening the precision of clinical assessment and increasing engagement in the psychotherapy process. However, much of the guidance on collecting and interpreting AA data is written for researchers and there are few guides written for clinical practitioners who may be interested in using AA data to inform their clinical practice. As clinical researchers and practitioners ourselves, we aim to increase interdisciplinary crosstalk by illustrating the benefits of integrating AA data into clinical practice using case examples. We offer practical recommendations for how psychotherapists might effectively use digital data. Specifically, we encourage psychotherapists to (1) co-create digital assessments that align with their client’s goals, (2) consider which digital device (or assessment modality) may be best suited to measure their client’s symptoms, experiences, or goals, and to (3) co-determine what constitutes ‘meaningful change’ for your client and their goals. We hope to inspire psychotherapists and to strengthen research-practice partnerships to advance the use of AA data as a tool for strengthening clinical practice, beyond the traditional boundaries of the treatment room.