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Future Reps: Volume 29

Future Reps: Volume 29

Ctrl+Alt+Stabilize: The Future of Rehab, Now with Feedback

Matt Neufeld
October 27, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

Editor’s Note:

At this point, you know the drill. We’re back in your inbox like that one patient who insists they’ve been doing some kind of exercise, if you count walking to the fridge.

This week, we’re zooming out to take a look at AI’s growing influence across all of medicine. It’s no longer just radiologists and tech bros—primary care docs, admin teams, and yes, even PTs, are seeing the ripple effects. Closer to home, we’re digging into how digital rehab tools might actually get patients to do their home programs (gasp), and what PTs really think about AI in the clinic: the optimism, the hesitation, and the general feeling of “wait, am I supposed to be using this already?”

We’re also showing off a shiny new feature in ManagePT built for students: an AI-powered mentor that listens, teaches, and quizzes—all while they’re in the middle of patient care. Because who says studying for boards can’t happen between gait cues?

Grab your coffee, fire up your therapist brain, and let’s dive in.

🗓️ Upcoming Events

APTA Pediatrics Annual Conference 2025

A strong meeting for PTs and other therapists working in pediatric settings. Good opportunity for networking, specialized breakout sessions, and earning ongoing education credits.

Dates: Dates: October 31 – November 2, 2025
Location: Colorado Springs, CO

APTA Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) 2026

This is the largest US‑based physical therapy conference, offering 300+ sessions, workshops, and a big tech/exhibit hall. For those exploring AI, digital tools, and emerging workflows in PT, it’s a prime networking and learning opportunity.

Dates: February 12‑14, 2026
Location: Anaheim, California

This Week’s Headlines:

AI, Health, and Health Care Today and Tomorrow

Link: JAMA
Estimated reading time: ~7 minutes

This commentary from JAMA paints a wide-angle view of how AI is currently transforming medicine from radiology to decision support to administrative workflows—and what challenges remain. The authors note that while AI tools are being adopted across specialties, many lack robust outcome data. Key concerns include understanding how tools integrate into real-world practice, avoiding bias, and ensuring equitable benefit across patient populations.

Why this matters for PTs:
AI isn’t just coming to rehab—it’s already influencing the entire healthcare ecosystem. That includes how patients are referred, diagnosed, and monitored. As AI gets baked into upstream tools (like EHRs or imaging systems), PTs need to understand where the tech is already shaping care and how it might influence the patients who arrive at your door.

How AI-Based Digital Rehabilitation Improves End-User Adherence

Link: JMIR
Estimated reading time: ~5 minutes

This systematic review explored how AI-driven digital rehabilitation tools improve home exercise adherence. Six key features stood out: gamification, personalized programming, real-time feedback, communication channels, reminders, and objective tracking. Though most tools are still in early stages, the findings show promise in boosting engagement and follow-through.

Why this matters for PTs:
If you’re frustrated by low HEP adherence, it’s worth exploring platforms that offer more than just exercise lists. AI-enabled systems can nudge, remind, and even report back to you turning home programs into collaborative, trackable efforts instead of black boxes.

What PTs Really Think About AI

Link: Healthcare (MDPI)
Estimated reading time: ~4 minutes

A recent survey of PTs found that 81% believe AI will soon be integrated into clinical care and nearly 80% expect it to change their role. But only 15% have received any formal training. The biggest barriers? Lack of organizational readiness and uncertainty around where AI fits into existing workflows.

Why this matters for PTs:
You don’t need to become a programmer, but some AI literacy is going to be part of the modern PT toolkit. Now’s the time to start learning, experimenting, and asking how your clinic or system plans to support adoption.

What’s New In ManagePT

Feature Spotlight: Ambient Listening Mentor for Students
We’re excited to introduce a new student-focused feature in ManagePT: the Ambient Listening Mentor. Designed to support DPT students during clinical rotations, this AI-powered assistant “listens” (securely and with consent) during patient interactions and provides real-time educational insights. That includes:

Quick references to relevant, up-to-date research based on the case
Constructive feedback on communication and clinical reasoning
On-the-fly NPTE-style questions to reinforce learning in context

Why it helps:
This turns every patient interaction into a live teaching moment. Students can prep for boards while staying grounded in real cases and CI’s (clinical instructors) can get a teaching assist without added time. For clinics hosting students, it raises the bar for education while keeping the workflow smooth.