New technologies constantly are emerging in attempts to make health care more responsive to patient needs while, ideally, containing costs. Many feature articles and other items in this magazine have spotlighted physical therapy's expansion into such areas as virtual reality, genomics, and regenerative medicine.

What is the ethically appropriate response, however, when a physical therapist (PT) questions his or her ability to fully deliver on the promise of a technology-aided clinical tool? Consider the following scenario.

Robotics Reservations

John is employed at Rising Sun, a small outpatient rehabilitation facility located in a rural area. He's been there for 3 years, after a brief stint at a private practice after graduation. He loves his work, which primarily is with patients who have neurologic impairments. His goal is to become a board-certified clinical specialist in neurologic physical therapy.