People Team AI Ask about a date

How exposed to AI is a Physical Therapist Assistant?

Of the 21 tasks O*NET lists for physical therapist assistants, 0 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 17 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
Certified Physical Therapist Assistant (CPTA)Home Care Physical Therapy AssistantHome Health Physical Therapist AssistantLicensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA)Licensed Physical Therapy AssistantOutpatient Physical Therapist AssistantPer Diem Physical Therapist Assistant (Per Diem PTA)Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA)
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
21
tasks rated for this occupation
16%
hold a degree, from a survey of only 18
94k
people do this job in the US
12 of 19
least protected in healthcare support

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Only with software built on top

4
  • Document patient information, such as notes on their progress
  • Observe patients during treatments to compile and evaluate data on their responses and progress and provide results to physical therapist in person or through progress notes
  • Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment
  • Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms

Cannot be sped up

17
  • Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities
  • Instruct patients in proper body mechanics and in ways to improve functional mobility, such as aquatic exercise
  • Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment
  • Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, aquatic physical therapy, or heat, light, sound, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound
  • Transport patients to and from treatment areas, lifting and transferring them according to positioning requirements
  • Clean work area and check and store equipment after treatment
  • Communicate with or instruct caregivers or family members on patient therapeutic activities or treatment plans
  • Measure patients' range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations
  • Train patients in the use of orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices
  • Monitor operation of equipment and record use of equipment and administration of treatment
  • Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings
  • Attend or conduct continuing education courses, seminars, or in-service activities
  • Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, such as crutches
  • Perform postural drainage, percussions, or vibrations or teach deep breathing exercises to treat respiratory conditions
  • Prepare treatment areas and electrotherapy equipment for use by physiotherapists
  • Administer traction to relieve neck or back pain, using intermittent or static traction equipment
  • Perform therapeutic wound care
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.