A special collaborative podcast with the Movement and Climate Change podcast and PT Outcast. Paige Enfinger and Katherine Hendry, DPT students at Emory University and podcast hosts, Zach Walson, PT, DPT, OCS, who serves as Head of Clinical at Second Door Health, and Josh Engles, a PhD student at MIT join the discussion.

This thought-provoking conversation explores how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing healthcare, with a special focus on physical therapy. Perspectives from AI safety and interpretability, clinical practice, and academia share their perspectives on AI's game-changing potential while addressing ethical challenges and bias concerns. The discussion examines practitioners' responsibility to educate patients about AI tools and the urgent need for regulatory frameworks as AI rapidly evolves.

Speakers also tackle the environmental costs of AI development, how these technologies might address—or worsen—healthcare disparities, and questions of liability when using AI in treatment decisions. Join us as we reflect on this potentially society altering technology!

Link to: Movement and Climate Change Podcast

In this episode of PT Outcast, Dr. Jim Gordon reflects on his 50-year career in physical therapy, discussing the evolution of the profession, the importance of understanding its history, and the future of primary care within physical therapy. He emphasizes the need for a strong academic foundation in physical therapy education, highlighting the role of research and clinical practice in shaping future practitioners. Dr. Gordon also addresses the challenges faced by new educational programs and the shift towards a vocational training model.

In this conversation, Jim Gordon and Eric Robertson discuss the current state and future of physical therapy education. They explore the challenges facing academic programs, the importance of maintaining high standards, and the need for innovation and critical thinking in training future physical therapists. Gordon emphasizes the necessity of excellence in the profession and reflects on the inspiring qualities of the next generation of therapists, while also considering the legacy of leadership in the field.

In this episode of PT Outcast, Eric Robertson engages with, Emma Swärdh and Joost Van Wijchen, leaders in the Environmental Physiotherapy Association, as they discuss the intersection of physiotherapy and environmental health. They talk about the need for physiotherapists to engage in climate action and educate patients about the health impacts of environmental factors.

The conversation covers the origins of the Environmental Physiotherapy Association, its growth, and the ethical responsibilities of physiotherapists in advocating for sustainable practices. The episode highlights the importance of integrating environmental considerations into physiotherapy education and practice, as well as the role of advocacy in promoting health justice and planetary health. This is a deep one!