Technology Innovations for Traveling Therapists
Technology has branched into rehabilitation therapy, with a variety of tools available to help patients recover from injuries or illnesses and make clinicians’ jobs easier.
“I see a growing use and need for technology in therapeutic intervention and practice and approach,” said Sarah Thomas, CEO of Delight by Design and a member of and keynote speaker for the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). “It means improved outcomes and greater efficiency.”
These innovations are constantly changing, requiring traveling therapists—including occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology professionals—to keep abreast of the latest trends.
The Role of Technology and Innovation in Travel Therapy
“I think the use of technology in our everyday lives is teaching more practitioners to include technology in their practice,” Thomas said. “Tech-enabled platforms can help us extend the reach of our services.”
For instance, travel occupational therapists and other OTs can use technology to assess a patient’s gait, measure range of motion or hand grip, conduct a movement analysis or in other ways capture the effectiveness of treatment and if the patient performs prescribed exercises correctly. Therapy tools also include pressure mapping to assess a patient’s risk of decubitus ulcers.
“Assessments have become much more accurate with the use of technology,” Thomas said.
Ten years ago, some of these therapy tools were pioneered in clinical trials, but now they are used in clinical practice, said Thomas. She reported that new practitioners coming out of academic settings are coming with greater use of technology and therapeutic interventions.
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) “supports the augmentation of physical therapy with digital health services to safely and efficiently expand the scope of work for physical therapists.” The association reports that digital health services cannot replace a physical therapist.
APTA and the Organization for the Review of Care and Health Apps have created a collection of health apps and products for the members of the physical therapy association.
Virtual Therapy Tools
Therapy tools, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality, help engage patients in their physical therapy program. These tools can motivate patients to interact and move in certain ways, such as “hitting a tennis ball” or “petting a dog” that only exist in virtual reality. VR can create environments and interactive games, which are more immersive than Wii games, which have been used for years. Video games can help patients’ spatial reasoning.
A 2022 study published in Medical Science Monitor reported that virtual reality rehabilitation helped patients with Parkinson’s disease improve balance and gait more than with conventional physical therapy.
Thomas reports virtual reality is being used for pain management and biofeedback. Certain systems focus on arm and hand rehabilitation.
Grand View Research reported that the global augmented reality and virtual reality health care market will grow 18.8 percent from 2023 to 2030.
A travel physical therapist might help a patient who has suffered a stroke improve balance with robot-assisted rehabilitation. The Balance Exercise Assist Robot was shown in 2022 to improve balance in patients with stroke when used with conventional inpatient rehabilitation.
Travel occupational therapists may use iPads with younger patients or virtual assistants with older patients to help them become more independent. For example, the patient could ask Alexa to turn a light on.
Many interactive tools exist for travel speech-language pathologists, such as word searches, remote whiteboards and videos to teach vocabulary and articulation.
As with other aspects of healthcare, more care has transitioned to telehealth, particularly for people living in rural or underserved areas, where the option increases access to care. Via telehealth, traveling therapists can assess patients’ progress and offer guidance without setting hands on the person.
“Telehealth and virtual practice is growing more than ever,” Thomas said.
Wearable sensors let travel therapists monitor home therapy and exercise routines remotely. Then the therapist can adjust the treatment plan accordingly.
Travel physical therapists may employ skin sleeves to collect biometric data and monitor adherence with the treatment plan.
Mobile Apps Supporting Therapy
A travel physical therapist can load exercise routines on a patient’s phone and perform an assessment of the patient’s progress, with wearable devices and sensor technology.
An international study reported in 2022 that older adults with coronary artery disease wanted to receive information about heart health, including exercises, via an app on their phone. The authors concluded, “Clinicians should encourage older adults to engage in cardiac technology-based physical therapy programs to provide meaningful exercise counselling, promote healthy lifestyle and healthy aging.”
Traveling therapists can evaluate information on smart watches or activity bands to determine their patients’ activity levels, heart rate and other data. The therapist can then offer suggestions to help patients meet their goals.
Authors of a 2022 The Lancet review concluded that wearable activity-trackers can increase people’s physical activity in clinical and nonclinical settings and the effects last at least six months.
Travel occupational therapists might use smartphone apps to help patients develop hand dexterity skills.
Travel speech-language pathologists can use apps to help patients with vocabulary, such as Speech Blubs, and articulation, such as Articulation Station. Speech-language therapists might also use tablets as augmentative or alternative communication tools on electronic devices. These will speak for the child when the patient pushes a button on the device.
Tools To Help The Traveling Therapist
Technology is also making the business side of practice more efficient, including electronic record systems tailored to therapy practice. Some help facilitate video appointments with patients in a secure environment and accept mobile payments and scheduling. These systems are necessary to facilitate your work as a traveling therapist, and must generally be utilized on each assignment.
“Business practices are enhanced by technology,” Thomas said.
Numerous apps exist to assist travelers, including Gas Buddy, Waze, HomeAway and VRBO. Google Maps and Apple Maps make it easy to reach your destination, and then can help you get around and explore your new location. WhatsApp can help you communicate with friends and family while away, without long-distance charges.
AMN Passport helps travelers find and manage their assignments and their profile. This all-in-one app facilitates credentialing, improves efficiency and communication, and provides a community. It can help travelers stay organized on the road.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) can gather and sort through large quantities of data. It offers the potential to improve the patient experience and improve therapists’ efficiency.
As an example, an AI company has launched a product that captures information during a regular conversation to complete the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) assessment tool used in Medicare-covered home health. It takes about 15 minutes. It will prompt questions to keep the conversation on track.
“It’s about the human experience with the patients we are serving,” Thomas said. “There’s no clerical work done. It allows for a much more delightful experience with the patient.”
Future Trends and Technologies
Looking ahead, travel therapists will likely work with more virtual reality devices, robots, AI and other technologies. Some of the technology remains rather expensive, but, as with most things, once it becomes more popular, prices will likely come down.
“Many people are excited about new technologies and bringing them into practice,” Thomas said.
Ready To Advance Your Travel Therapy Career?
Whether you prioritize location, work setting or the potential to use the latest technology, the allied health team at AMN Healthcare can help you find your ideal travel therapy assignment.
