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The New Study Partner: AI in Physical Therapy Education

Surveys from Europe and beyond reveal how DPT students are using, and questioning, generative AI tools in the classroom and clinic.

Author

Matt Neufeld
November 10, 2025

Volume 31 November 10, 2025

From the Editor

As physical therapists, we often speak of being lifelong learners and now more than ever that means being AI‑literate. Students entering DPT, PTA, MDT or medical programs face not only traditional clinical reasoning demands but also the question: how do I use the AI tools I’ll increasingly encounter without losing my critical thinking, hands‑on skills or professional identity?

In this volume, we look at what recent studies reveal about students’ perceptions of AI, their actual use of chatbots and large‑language models, and how educators are responding. My hope: to spark reflection about how we might revise curricula, mentoring and clinical education to meet this new challenge. Because the next generation of therapists, and patients, deserve nothing less.

📰 This Week's Highlights

Acceptance of AI‑Powered Chatbots Among Physiotherapy Students

A recent international survey of 1,066 undergraduate physiotherapy students across 7 programs in 5 countries found moderate acceptance of AI‑powered chatbots.

  • Mean score on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was 3.59 (on a 5‑point scale): about 35 % showed high acceptance, ~61 % moderate, and ~4 % low.

  • Prior experience with AI tools was the strongest predictor of acceptance (β = .43, p <0.001). University affiliation also mattered.

  • GPA, age, sex and academic level were not significant predictors in the regression model.

  • The authors conclude: “Educational institutions should consider integrating AI technologies to enhance students’ familiarity and foster positive attitudes toward their use.”

Why this matters for PTs:
If students are entering clinics with a baseline familiarity (or not) with AI chatbots, then our onboarding, mentoring and supervision must account for that. As supervisors, we might encounter students who (a) already use AI study‑tools and expect access and (b) may undervalue critical appraisal of AI output. We can proactively shape how they integrate AI: is it a supplement to clinical reasoning, or a substitute? Ensuring they remain clinically grounded is key.

Chatbots in Italy: Use, Benefits, and Limits Among PT Students

In this 2025 study of 589 physiotherapy students from 10 Italian universities:

  • 95.3 % had heard of AI chatbots, but 53.7 % never used them for academic purposes.

  • Of those who used them, 31.8 % used them for learning support; only 9.9 % used chatbots during internships.

  • Students recognized the risk of chatbots spreading misinformation or reducing human interaction (median 3/4 for agreement).

  • They were neutral (median 2/4) about concerns like plagiarism, privacy, and overreliance.

  • Female students were less likely to use chatbots than male peers (OR 0.61). Younger students had slightly higher awareness.

Why this matters for PTs:
The data suggest that while AI tools are recognized, they are not yet fully integrated into clinical education or internships. That gap is an opportunity: as educators or clinic supervisors, we might design structured activities wherein students use a chatbot (or other AI tool) in a supported way—then reflect on its output, criticize it, and integrate human clinical reasoning. Also, be aware of gender and age‑differences in adoption: we might need to design inclusive strategies to ensure equity.

Generative AI in PT Education: Promise and Caution

A 2025 qualitative study with physiotherapy students found:

  • Students viewed generative AI (GAI) as beneficial for learning and clinical reasoning.

  • They hoped future models would improve accuracy, documentation support, and evidence-informed decision-making.

  • But concerns remained around misuse, reduced learning quality, and unclear university guidance.

  • Authors call for formal policies, pedagogy frameworks, and AI literacy initiatives.

Why this matters for PTs:
This echoes a key point: AI isn’t just about whether students use it, but how. As PT educators (clinical or academic), we cannot just allow “chatbot use” and leave it at that. We must teach and model the critical mindset—how to assess AI outputs, how to integrate them with evidence, hands‑on practice, human judgement. It may be worth designing case‑studies where students compare chatbot suggestions vs. human clinician reasoning, then reflect. Also: we should advocate for institutional policies that recognize and guide AI use in curricula and clinical placements.

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