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The National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN), the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN), and the American College of Professional Neuropsychology (ACPN) collaborated to publish an update to their original position statements, confirming the organizations' opposition to third party observers (TPO). A review of literature addressing TPO effects, ethical standards, professional organization position statements, test publisher policies and new telemedicine developments was completed to obtain consensus on relevant issues in TPO and recording of neuropsychological evaluations. TPO has been shown to impact the cognitive functions most often assessed in forensic or medicolegal settings. Third party observation, whether in person, recorded or electronically, remains a potential threat to the validity and reliability of evaluation results, and violates test security guidelines, ethical principles and standards of conduct in the field. Demands for TPO in the context of medicolegal or forensic settings have become a tactic designed to limit the ability of the consulting neuropsychologist to perform assessment and provide information to the trier of fact. The field of neuropsychology opposes the presence of TPO in the setting of medicolegal or forensic neuropsychological evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical neuropsychology focuses on the evaluation and treatment of brain-based disorders using well validated tests and methodologies. Neuropsychologists work in a variety of medical settings and frequently work within integrated interdisciplinary teams. Individual neuropsychological evaluations focus on the assessment of cognitive functioning across a variety of domains and typically include assessment of emotional and neurobehavioral status and functional abilities. These evaluations can be comprehensive or highly focused and are often utilized to aid in differential diagnosis, treatment planning, discharge planning, determination of functional capacities, and determination of potential barriers to treatment compliance. Neuropsychological testing is also the gold standard for assessing cognition in clinical trials and determination of medication efficacy where cognition is the target of treatment. Finally, neuropsychological testing, in combination with genetic markers and imaging, aids with diagnostic distinctions. Neuropsychologists are also involved in treatment of patients with brain-based disorders through the provision of psychotherapy, creation of behavioral modification plans, cognitive rehabilitation, and valuable psychoeducation to patients and their families. This workshop will describe the best ways to utilize neuropsychological services and will describe the types of referral questions that can be addressed with neuropsychological evaluations. Given the ever-present pressure to provide time and cost-effective services, computerized cognitive screening programs are growing in popularity. The pros and cons of these tools versus more comprehensive assessments will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]