Ethics in Digital Care for Rehabilitation
Presented by Anna DeLaRosby, Julie Mulcahy, and Todd Norwood
Julie Mulcahy, instructor for this educational event, receive compensation from Medbridge for this course. No one with the ability to control content has relevant relationships to disclose.
Todd Norwood, instructor for this educational event, receive compensation from Medbridge for this course. No one with the ability to control content has relevant relationships to disclose
This course explores how core physical therapy ethical principles—autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice—extend into digital and telehealth practice, equipping clinicians to navigate the ethical complexities unique to remote care. Learners will apply structured ethical frameworks to evaluate emerging technologies, determine when telehealth is clinically and ethically appropriate, and address digital equity, privacy, and informed consent in real-world scenarios. The course examines the ethical use of remote therapeutic monitoring and wearable devices, including vendor relationships, billing practices, and conflicts of interest, as well as documentation integrity and cybersecurity obligations within electronic health records. Through case studies and ethical scenarios, clinicians will also examine the expanding role of artificial intelligence in rehabilitation—distinguishing AI as a decision support tool from clinical judgment—and learn to identify and mitigate risks such as algorithmic bias and inappropriate reliance on automated systems.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyze the application of core healthcare ethical principles—including beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice—within technology-enabled care models
- Integrate ethical frameworks into the management of remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) and digital tools, addressing monitoring expectations, escalation plans, and potential vendor conflicts of interest
- Discriminate between clinical scenarios appropriate for telehealth and those requiring in-person intervention based on safety, equity, and patient preference
- Analyze telehealth-specific informed consent documents to ensure they address unique risks, limitations, and emergency procedures
- Integrate ethical frameworks into the management of Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) and digital tools, addressing monitoring expectations, escalation plans, and potential vendor conflicts of interest
- Implement ethical documentation and privacy-preserving behaviors across electronic health records (EHR), patient portals, and messaging platforms
- Distinguish between the use of AI as a clinical decision support tool versus an autonomous decision-maker to ensure final professional clinical judgment
- Analyze specific AI ethical risks—including algorithmic bias, transparency, and data privacy—within the context of patient care and informed consent
Meet your instructors
Anna DeLaRosby
Anna has been a physical therapist since receiving her doctorate in physical therapy in 2008 and loves all things PT. Anna became certified in mechanical diagnosis and therapy in 2012, and in 2014, she became a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist. Anna is the clinical program manager for Physera Physical Therapy…
Julie Mulcahy
Julie Mulcahy received her doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Michigan. For the past 20+ years, she has specialized in orthopedics, sports medicine, and women’s health. She obtained her Certificate of Achievement in Pregnancy and Postpartum Physical Therapy (CAPP-OB) in 2021 and her LAMP Institute for…
Todd Norwood
Todd received his doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Southern California and his BA in human biology from Stanford University. He is a board-certified clinical specialist in both orthopedic and sports physical therapy and a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Todd is currently the senior…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Ethical Foundations
This chapter reviews the core ethical principles and professional codes of conduct that underlie physical therapy practice and examines how they apply to digital tools and technology-enabled care. Using a case study on AI scribe technology, clinicians will practice applying structured ethical frameworks to identify ethical risks and determine appropriate actions when adopting new digital health tools.
2. Telehealth Ethics in Practice
This chapter translates high-level ethical principles into concrete strategies for determining when telehealth is clinically and ethically appropriate, and when in-person care is required. Clinicians will examine digital equity, therapeutic trust-building, privacy and emergency preparedness, and telehealth-specific informed consent through case studies and ethical scenarios addressing access, safety, and the risk of clinical undersupervision.
3. Digital Health, RTM, and Remote Monitoring
This chapter addresses the ethical responsibilities associated with remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) and other digital health tools, including patient expectation management, billing ethics, and conflicts of interest in vendor relationships. Through case studies on RTM billing and overmonitoring, clinicians will learn to structure vendor partnerships transparently and ensure that monitoring decisions are driven by clinical appropriateness rather than revenue.
4. EHR, Documentation, and Data Management
This chapter covers ethical documentation principles and privacy-preserving practices within electronic health records, patient portals, and messaging systems. Clinicians will examine the benefits and risks of AI-assisted documentation, common documentation pitfalls, and cybersecurity obligations, applying these principles to ethical scenarios involving efficiency, accuracy, and organizational policy.
5. AI in Rehabilitation Practice
This chapter examines the growing role of artificial intelligence in rehabilitation, emphasizing that AI must function as decision support rather than a replacement for clinical judgment. Clinicians will explore algorithmic bias, patient trust, appropriate disclosure of AI use, and regulatory perspectives, applying these concepts to case studies on recognizing and addressing bias in AI-driven tools.
More courses in this series
Advanced Medical Screening and Safety in Telehealth
Anna DeLaRosby, Julie Mulcahy, and Todd Norwood
Ethics in Digital Care for Rehabilitation
Anna DeLaRosby, Julie Mulcahy, and Todd Norwood
Equitable Access in Remote Care: Disability and Language Support
Anna DeLaRosby, Julie Mulcahy, and Todd Norwood
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