In opening the APTA Future of Rehab Therapy Summit, APTA Vice President Skye Donovan, PT, PhD, said the profession is at a tipping point: one where new technologies, data-driven care, and interdisciplinary collaboration are “redefining what is possible.”

“Whether we’re talking about AI-driven diagnostics, wearables, or care delivery models, innovation is not a buzz word,” Donovan said. “It is a responsibility.”

The purpose of the summit, held July 9-10 in Washington, D.C., and Alexandria, Va., was to bring together professionals from physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and audiology, as well as leaders in digital health and rehab innovation. The summit offered attendees the opportunity to leave with actionable insights, new connections, and fresh perspectives.

This article features some of the highlights of the first day of presentations. On the second day of the summit, speakers delved into the details on how to give a captivating pitch, file a patent, connect with industry leaders, and more.  

Leveraging AI and Emerging Technology

Throughout the summit, speakers emphasized the importance of the provider’s role in the use of technology.  

In the panel on artificial intelligence and data in rehabilitation, Anang Chokshi, PT, DPT, founder and managing partner of Digital Healthcare Consulting, said AI is a copilot, not the decisionmaker in the clinic.

“These are tools,” Chokshi said. “We have to learn how to use these tools in an effective way to deliver the care we want to deliver.”

Caroline "CJ" Morrow, PT, DPT, co-chair of APTA’s FiRST Network, said as clinicians and rehab professionals, “we don’t just treat with our minds, we treat with our minds, our hearts, and our intuitions.”

AI helps the mind recognize patterns and come up with new solutions, she said, and that’s why it will be a great partner in treating patients.

“Data is only as good as what we use it for,” Morrow said. “And we have a lot of data in our [electronic medical records] systems, and can we use it all? Not quite yet. But AI might really be able to help us with that.”

In a roundtable with the CEOs of the American Occupational Therapy Association and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, APTA CEO Justin Moore, PT, DPT, recognized both the advantages and concerns of the current technology wave.

New technology can reduce administrative burden and expand access to care, however, these changes can also exacerbate inequalities due to broadband access, connectivity, and digital literacy issues.

The profession can create meaningful human connections that patients seek while also ensuring that it delivers the information most relevant to that patient in a world saturated with information, he said.

“Technology can only be as valuable as that professional behind that technology,” Moore said.

Finding Confidence on Your Career Journey

For some clinicians, shaping the future of rehabilitation happens outside of the clinic, leading them to jobs that are considered “non-clinical.” Working outside a clinical setting can bring change as well as both logistical and emotional challenges.

Harrison Segall, PT, DPT, is program manager in the Office of Population Health at Johns Hopkins Health System. After earning a business school degree, he worked as a consultant on hospital readmission reduction projects. Now he does international population health work.

People who want to leave direct patient care deserve a seat at the table with other health care practitioners, Segall said, and they will excel in their new roles.

Segall recommends finding a mentor and embracing the community of other PTs who have made a career change.

“There’s a large community out there of people who have made this leap ... You are not alone in this transition,” Segall said.

Melissa Gill, PT, DPT, is owner and CEO of On-Site Solutions Physical Therapy, which specializes in onsite injury prevention and wellness education.

When she made her career transition, she felt like an outsider at times, but now she said more PTs are recognizing her path as a viable way to be a PT and business owner.

Although she says she’s saddened by not being a PT day-to-day, Gill loves seeing how health care works and what she can do to make it better. For her, that involves getting employers to pay to have PTs onsite and for employees to seek out her company’s services.

“I get to be a visionary, which is amazing,” Gill said. “It sounds lofty, but when somebody asks me what I want to do I say I want to change health care.”

‘Shark Tank’ and Wearing Many Hats

Keynote speaker Dan Staats, PT, DPT, shared his journey from clinic owner to an entrepreneur and co-founder of Sorsoap, a product that earned a winning deal on “Shark Tank.” His co-founder and former patient, David Restiano, had the idea of creating a muscle scraping device that could be used in the shower to ease sore muscles.

As the clinician in the partnership, Staats took the lead on validating the product. He conducted a study measuring range of motion, grip strength, pain scale, and job performance for employees using deli meat slicers over one month. That study, published in peer-reviewed journal “Occupational Diseases and Environmental Medicine,” demonstrated the product’s success in terms of improved grip strength and improvement on eight of nine self-reported job tasks for the intervention group as compared with the control group.

Staats’ advice to fellow rehab entrepreneurs: Be willing to take on a lot of different roles.

“If you have an idea and you want to bring it to the finish line, you’re going to have to wear many hats,” he said. “And what that means is some days you’re going to wake up and you’re going to be an accountant. Some days you’re going to wake up and you’re going to be a salesman. Some days you’ll be a mad-scientist researcher.”

Are You Ready for the Future? APTA Can Help

Connect with fellow members interested in these topics and join the conversation on the APTA Community:

• The APTA FiRST Network connects members to leverage scientific and technological discoveries that advance physical therapist practice, education, and research.
• The Digital Care Providers forum is intended for PTs and PTAs providing telehealth, virtual care, or other digital care services.
• The Innovation in Physical Therapy community is a place for creative thinkers and change-makers in the profession; participants share breakthroughs, discuss novel approaches, and collaborate on advancing the profession.

Interested in learning more about AI? Listen to an APTA Podcast featuring Morrow and other experts in “AI in PT Practice: What Are the Benefits, Risks, and Ethical Questions?”