Clinical Usefulness of Artificial Intelligence in Physiotherapy – A Practice-based Review

Abstract

Abstract This review explores the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into physiotherapy practice, focusing on its impact on diagnostic tools, personalized treatment plans, and ethical considerations. AI systems offer enhanced precision and individualization in patient care through multivariable prediction models, which assess long-term outcomes, particularly for hip fracture patients. Although some models show potential for improving treatment pathways and prognostic accuracy, further research is needed to develop more reliable and efficacious AI applications. One significant application of AI in physiotherapy lies in the development of tailored rehabilitation programs. Machine learning algorithms analyze a patient’s medical records and response to prior treatments to create custom care plans, increasing compliance and enhancing clinical decision-making. Continuous feedback loops enable adaptability in treatment plans based on patient reports, further strengthening the practitioner–patient relationship and improving patient satisfaction. Despite the numerous benefits, the integration of AI technologies carries ethical implications. Ensuring patient information confidentiality is crucial, as AI requires extensive data sets to train algorithms. In addition, the role of human empathy and emotional support in therapeutic settings raises questions about AI’s potential replacement in these aspects of care. Clear guidelines and regulatory frameworks are necessary to protect patients’ rights while leveraging AI’s benefits for enhanced clinical outcomes without compromising the foundational values of compassionate care in physiotherapy. Gait analysis, natural language processing, physioGPT, and PostureFix are few of the AI tools used. In conclusion, the incorporation of AI into physiotherapy represents a cultural shift toward more precise and personalized patient care. While showing promise in improving treatment pathways and predicting long-term outcomes, ongoing research should focus on developing robust evaluation metrics for AI applications’ efficacy and reliability. Ethical considerations must be addressed to ensure the safe integration of AI technologies while maintaining the humanistic principles that underpin physiotherapy practice.

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