March 6, 2026
Jessi Behrendsen
A new study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Education is exploring an innovative intersection of artificial intelligence and physical therapy education – and HRS Clinical Professor Susan Appling, PT, DPT, PhD, and Anne D. Kloos, PT, PhD, NCS, fellow HRS clinical professor emerita, are among the researchers behind it.
The paper examines reflective journals written by Doctorate of Physical Therapy students during a global health service-learning trip to Mérida, Mexico, where students worked in clinics alongside local staff treating children and adults. The research team first analyzed the journals manually to identify statements reflecting physical therapy's core professional values, then applied natural language processing – an AI-based method – to assess whether those findings held up.
They did. The AI corroborated the manual analysis and also surfaced three distinct themes: educating patients and caregivers, providing new treatment ideas and learning about a different culture.
"Using natural language processing really did corroborate our previous findings," Appling said, adding that the method could help make qualitative research more efficient and consistent – and potentially ease the burden on faculty who grade reflective writing.