Will AI replace Physical Therapist Assistants?
Estimated risk score: 25 out of 100
Lower replacement risk
Estimate from published task research, not reviewed by a person · how we estimate
Within about 19 points for 4 in 5 of the jobs we checked (6 to 44).
For the occupation as a whole, from ratings of its 21 O*NET tasks published in 2023 and calibrated to our hand scores. A specialty inside it can sit higher or lower.
O*NET-SOC 31-2021.00 · Healthcare Support
Tasks rated in 2023 as ones AI could do or speed up
Tasks a GPT-4-class model could do, or do in half the time or less: 2 of its 21 rated tasks. In O*NET’s words.
- Document patient information, such as notes on their progress.
- Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.
Tasks rated in 2023 as not sped up by AI
Tasks such a model was rated as not speeding up or taking over: 17 of its 21 rated tasks; the first 6 are shown. In O*NET’s words.
- Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, aquatic physical therapy, or heat, light, sound, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.
- Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings.
- Clean work area and check and store equipment after treatment.
- Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, such as crutches.
- Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
- Perform postural drainage, percussions, or vibrations or teach deep breathing exercises to treat respiratory conditions.
What the job is
Assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with state laws, assist in the development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, document the progress of treatment, and modify specific treatments in accordance with patient status and within the scope of treatment plans established by a physical therapist. Generally requires formal training.
Also called: Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA), Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA), Certified Physical Therapist Assistant (CPTA), CPTA, LPTA, Per Diem PTA, Home Health PTA.
Source. This site includes information from the O*NET 30.1 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. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. (O*NET, CC BY 4.0.) Task ratings: Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock (2023), “GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact Potential of Large Language Models”, data used under the MIT licence (licence texts). Our change: we averaged the ratings over this occupation’s tasks and calibrated them to our 0–100 scale. It is not a prediction about any one person and not career advice. Disagree? Write to hello@yourstopwashit.com. How we estimate