Skip to main content

Digital options for patient wellness are here. Are you ready?

Some of the most exciting advances in physical therapist practice involve emerging digital technologies.

In physical therapy, as in other health care professions, PTs and PTAs are increasingly using innovative digital technologies such as mobile apps and telehealth to augment and modify care delivery in order to optimize clinical outcomes.

PT and PTAs can use digital health technologies, such as virtual reality and robotics and sensors, as an intervention.

APTA has a long history of supporting new technologies that promise to help clinicians and patients alike. In the right applications, technology can advance quality of care, provide clinician support, increase and speed access to services, increase patient engagement and self-efficacy, and reduce overall spending.

APTA has identified the concept of the digitally enabled physical therapist as a framework for addressing the role of digital health in the physical therapy care. Digital technologies can never replace the value or role of the physical therapist or the physical therapist assistant. Instead, these tools can enable clinicians to expand their reach, improve access to their services, and deliver critical data on patient progress and outcomes to ultimately drive improvements in care.

APTA is dedicated to consumer transparency and is asking digital health providers for pledged commitments that physical therapists are involved in any digital service framed as "physical therapy," consistent with term and title protection efforts.

Interested in learning more about APTA's upcoming digital health app library? If you would like to participate in initial training sessions on how to use APTA's digital health app library, powered by ORCHA, please enter your contact information on this online form, and our Digital Health Team will be in touch soon.


Recommended Content

The Digitally Enabled Physical Therapist: An APTA Foundational Paper

Nov 21, 2022 / Resource

Digital Health Technology Outside the U.S.

Sep 20, 2022 / Article

APTA Digital Health Transparency Campaign

Sep 7, 2022

APTA is asking digital health providers to make the following commitment: Digital "physical therapy" services are only performed or directed by licensed PTs.

Digital Health Technology and Physical Therapy

Apr 15, 2022 / Statement

Ethics in Practice: When Is Physical Therapy "Digital"?

Aug 1, 2022 / Column


Additional Digital Health Technology Content

The Digitally Enabled Physical Therapist Infographic

Feb 8, 2023 / Infographic

Digital health solutions, which are increasingly being used by physical therapists now, refer to the use of virtual tools to deliver health care services or enable better health.

Digital Health Companies Respond to APTA Efforts for Consumer Transparency

Sep 12, 2022 / News

To date, nine companies have pledged that PTs will be involved in any services promoted as physical therapy.

2022 Presidential Address

Aug 14, 2022 / Statement

APTA President Roger Herr, PT, MPA, provided his annual address on August 14 at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, DC.

New Collaboration Will Fund Digital Physical Therapy Research, DEI

Apr 22, 2022 / News

SWORD Health has committed at least $100k annually to bolster the study of technology use in the profession, and to grow APTA’s PT Fund.