Leveraging AI in Physiotherapy: Enhancing Care for Older Adults in Clinical Practice

Description

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing healthcare, and its potential in physiotherapy is particularly promising for enhancing the care of older adults. As the global population ages, there is an increasing need for innovative solutions that improve mobility, manage chronic conditions, and promote overall well-being among older adults. AI offers the potential to optimize treatment plans, personalize rehabilitation, and streamline assessment processes.

However, despite its promising potential, the current knowledge base on AI applications in physiotherapy for older adults remains in its infancy. While research has explored AI in various aspects of healthcare, there are still significant gaps in its specific application to physiotherapy, particularly in clinical settings where physiotherapists work directly with older adults. Key challenges include limited understanding among clinicians about the practicality of integrating AI tools into daily practice and concerns about data privacy and security. Moreover, the cost and accessibility of AI technologies can present additional barriers, particularly for smaller clinics or rural areas where resources are limited.

Further, the translation of AI-based interventions into real-world clinical practice faces obstacles such as lack of standardized training for clinicians, limited user-friendly AI platforms, and resistance to adopting new technologies due to uncertainties about their efficacy and reliability. Addressing these barriers will require evidence-based research, clinical guidelines, and education to ensure AI tools can be effectively integrated into physiotherapy for older adults. 

This webinar will focus on bridging these gaps, providing a comprehensive overview of how AI can be applied to enhance physiotherapy for older adults, while addressing the challenges and barriers to its widespread adoption.

Objectives

1. Understand the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare – Participants will gain a clear understanding of AI concepts and how they apply to physiotherapy practices.
2. Recognize the potential of AI to improve patient care for older adults – Participants will learn how AI can enhance assessments, diagnosis, and treatment plans for aging populations.
3. Identify barriers and challenges to implementing AI in clinical practice – Participants will be able to recognize common obstacles and how to address them when adopting AI tools.

Price

• Free for Seniors Health Division Members 
• $10 for CPA members (you must authenticate your CPA membership in order to see the CPA pricing tier)
• $20 for Non-CPA Members

Speaker Bio: Dr. Mirella Veras, PT, PhD

Dr. Mirella Veras, PT, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy
College of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Manitoba

Dr. Mirella Veras is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba. With over 20 years of experience as a physiotherapist, educator, and scientist, Dr. Veras has developed expertise at the intersection of digital health and physiotherapy. She focuses particularly on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance mobility, autonomy, and independence in middle-aged and older adults. Her research is dedicated to improving equity in digital health, aiming to bridge the digital empowerment divide by developing AI solutions that address functional challenges while ensuring accessibility for individuals from diverse backgrounds and abilities.

Dr. Veras' work evaluates and assists in creating technologies that empower users to actively participate in their own care, enhancing both the quality of life and clinical outcomes. Her research also explores how AI can optimize health services, primary care, and long-term care systems, improving patient outcomes and enabling more effective care delivery. In addition to her academic work, Dr. Veras has extensive clinical experience as a physiotherapist in long-term care, which enriches her ability to apply research findings to real-world challenges and directly informs her efforts to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice.