Practical tips for implementing AI in physiotherapy practice - FOCUS26

What drives a patient to seek care for a musculoskeletal condition from a GP versus a physio? In this episode, Jim Zouch and Antony Hirst explore the factors influencing a consumer to visit a physiotherapist versus a GP including out of pocket costs, travel distance to clinic and how soon they can get an appointment, and examine how this might play out if publicly funded physiotherapy becomes a reality.  Jim Zouch is a physiotherapist, PhD student and lecturer at the University of Sydney. His PhD is exploring how the entry point into the healthcare system, particularly starting care with a physiotherapist or GP, shapes downstream outcomes for patients with musculoskeletal pain.  Antony Hirst is the current chair of the APA’s Business national group. He has considerable experience in the business of physiotherapy having owned a group of clinics and sold them to a corporate group in 2018. Since then he spends most of his time helping other clinics around the country with their challenges and assisting the APA and the profession to improve sustainability and viability of the private sector.

In this episode, Belinda Lange and Julian Moore separate the practicalities from the hype around using AI in the physiotherapy clinic and examine what an AI-enabled physiotherapy practice might look like today and in the near future -- from managing accounts and bookings to recording patient visits and more. Julian Moore is an AI solutions architect and Chief AI Consultant at Strategic Membership Solutions. As a keynote speaker and trainer specialising in practical artificial intelligence, he helps organisations reduce repetitive work and build AI tools that solve everyday problems. Working with businesses, government and associations across Australia, New Zealand and the UK, his projects include Australia’s first AI board member. Known for his humour and live demonstrations, Julian makes complex technology accessible, giving professionals the confidence and practical skills to put AI to work.    Professor Belinda Lange is a physiotherapist and Professor in Health AI at Queensland University of Technology. She has over 20 years of experience co designing, evaluating, and implementing digital health innovations, including virtual reality, interactive technologies, and applied AI, to support rehabilitation, mental health, and wellbeing.

In this episode, Cameron Edwards, chair of the APA’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Committee talks to Samoan physiotherapist Oka Sanerivi about culturally safe practice. This can look different depending on the particular culture, but at its heart is based on recognising and understanding culture and factors that influence how people of a culture interact with health care services and providers. Cameron Edwards is the current Chair of the APA’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Committee. A proud Kamilaroi man, he currently works at Westmead Children’s Hospital in NSW in Burns and Mental Health. He has enjoyed rotating through approximately fifteen clinical areas within NSW Health, working with both adult and paediatric populations. Cameron was awarded the inaugural NSW health Aboriginal Allied Health Professional of the Year in 2021, as well as the APA NSW Branch Award—Contribution to the APA by a Recent Graduate in 2022. Cameron seeks opportunities to advocate for, and give a voice to, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People’s, as demonstrated through his hosting of the Deadly Physios.Dr Oka Sanerivi is a Samoan, Tongan physiotherapy clinician, governor, researcher and expert in Pacific cultural safety in healthcare, with over 14 years of clinical experience including as a paediatric physiotherapist. Oka received his PhD in Physiotherapy from the University of Otago, becoming the first Pacific person to be awarded a PhD in Physiotherapy. His doctoral research titled ‘Le taualuga o tausiga (the epitome of care): In Search of Samoan Cultural Safety in Physiotherapy’, was inspired by his clinical work as part of an emergency medical response team during the Samoan Measles outbreak in 2019. The study explored how physiotherapists in New Zealand could best engage and uphold the dignity of Samoan and Pacific families in their care. Oka holds the positions as a Senior Research Fellow at the Va’a o Tautai: Centre for Pacific Health at the University of Otago, as well as an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Mātai Medical Research Institute in Tairāwhiti. Oka has held several governance roles including as an Executive Committee Member for Physiotherapy New Zealand, the Chair of the Pasifika Physiotherapy Association and currently as Deputy Chairperson for the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand. He is committed to integrating the best of Pacific indigenous knowledges with transformational scientific findings to benefit public health and wellbeing outcomes.

Physios play a front-line role in stroke recovery and a particularly important role in getting people up & moving after stroke. The recent World Stroke Organisation guideline synthesis recommends targeting physical activity across the stroke recovery spectrum. In this episode, Nat Fini, Amy Brodtmann and Jess Nolan discuss the World Stroke Organisation guidelines as well as some of the latest research into stroke rehab, particularly focusing on lateropulsion, a significant limitation seen early after stroke.Recorded at APASC25 in Adelaide, October 23-25.This podcast is a Physiotherapy Research Foundation (PRF) initiative.

New evidence is driving new approaches to pulmonary rehabilitation, which has become an important tool for managing both chronic pulmonary conditions (including bronchiectasis or COPD) and acute pulmonary care (for example, in patients on ventilation in ICU).In this episode, Mark Elkins, Jennifer Alison and Anne Holland discuss ways in which cardiopulmonary rehabilitation has changed over the years and how it might look in years to come, particularly in regards to care delivered in clinics, in the community or at home.Recorded at APASC25 in Adelaide, October 23-25.This podcast is a Physiotherapy Research Foundation (PRF) initiative.

Low back pain is a common and debilitating condition affecting many people. In recent years, guidelines such as Australia’s Low Back Pain Clinical Care Standard have been developed to provide a framework for best practice clinical care, covering components such as when to use imaging and medication. In this episode, Adnan Asger Ali and Chad Cook explore approaches to treating low back pain, including manual therapy, CFT and exercise-based therapies. They also examine how physiotherapists can balance patient expectations with best-practice, evidence-based care.Recorded at APASC25 in Adelaide, October 23-25.This podcast is a Physiotherapy Research Foundation (PRF) initiative.

Guidelines for physical activity for people with childhood-onset disabilities are similar to those for the general population but the barriers to participation are far greater. A number of studies have been done in Australia in recent years, trialling different approaches to increasing physical activity, especially in children. In this episode, Prue Morgan, Carlee Holmes and Rachel Kennedy look at some of the barriers to children and adults living with disability engaging in physical activity and how physios can help to overcome these barriers.Recorded at APASC25 in Adelaide, October 23-25.This podcast is a Physiotherapy Research Foundation (PRF) initiative.

Australia’s national guidelines for falls prevention have recently been updated and one of the key interventions aimed at preventing falls in residential aged care and in the community is exercise/physical activity.In this episode, Cathie Sherrington, Teresa Liu-Ambrose and Anne-Marie Hill discuss the benefits of exercise as we age and how staying active can help in falls prevention. They explore the primary role of physios with falls prevention, and the emerging part that technology can play.Recorded at APASC25 in Adelaide, October 23-25.This podcast is a Physiotherapy Research Foundation (PRF) initiative.

Chronic pain is a debilitating condition associated with many musculoskeletal conditions, with numerous contributing factors that can be physiological or environmental. By understanding the different kinds of pain, and the factors affecting pain, clinicians can individually tailor their approach to treating it.In this episode, Zoë Harper, Jo Nijs and Mark Hancock discuss the different classifications of pain and how physios can treat them, including prescriptions of exercise and physical activity, education and psychological approaches.Recorded at APASC25 in Adelaide, October 23-25.This podcast is a Physiotherapy Research Foundation (PRF) initiative.

Understanding how and why women get injured in sport has come a long way, but what we know is still well behind our understanding of men’s sporting injuries. Many aspects of women’s health need to be considered in relation to sport, such as pelvic and breast health and menstruation.In this episode, Kay Crossley, Deirdre McGhee and Melissa Haberfield look at the factors influencing injury risk for females, women and girls in sport, from community to elite level. They also discuss gaps in research and clinical understanding, and what clinicians can do in their practices to improve injury outcomes.Recorded at APASC25 in Adelaide, October 23-25.This podcast is a Physiotherapy Research Foundation (PRF) initiative.