Come and talk AI in physical therapy education with us at ELC 2026

The Physiopedia team will be at the Education Leadership Conference (ELC) 2026 in Washington DC from 16 to 18 October, presenting two sessions on AI in physical therapy education and welcoming visitors at booth 15. Come and meet us to see how we are building AI into learning, including our newest feature the Clinical Case Simulator, and to talk about what thoughtful, evidence-based AI can offer your students. 

The 21st Annual Physical Therapy Education Leadership Conference (ELC) in Washington DC, USA, next month is a collaborative initiative between the APTA Academy of Education (AoE) and the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy and brings together the people shaping physical therapy education, and that is exactly the conversation we want to be part of. If you are curious about how we are building AI into learning rather than bolting a chatbot onto the side of a platform, booth 15 is the place to see it for yourself. Stop by to meet the team, ask hard questions and get a proper look at PAI, the Physiopedia AI Assistant, and the new Clinical Case Simulator. PAI is built on a curated, peer-reviewed evidence base rather than the open internet, and every answer it gives arrives with its sources so learners can trace claims rather than simply trust the output. It is designed for education and built by physical therapists for physical therapists.

Booth 15 is also where you can try our newest feature, the Clinical Case Simulator, which educators have been asking us for. Powered by PAI, it generates simulated patients so learners can put their knowledge into practice and test their clinical reasoning through a full assessment, reasoning and management sequence, with no real caseload needed. Rather than handing over answers, it keeps the learner in charge of every decision, releases findings only when asked, and closes with personalised feedback on their strengths and the areas to develop. It is exactly the kind of tool students can use to prepare for clinical rotations and exams, and that educators can drop straight into teaching and small-group work. Come and see it in action: can you pass the case?!

We also have two sessions on the programme this year:

• Friday 16 October, from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM in the Tulip Room, our platform presentation “AI readiness and adoption in global rehabilitation professionals, a survey study” draws on responses from thousands of rehabilitation professionals across seven global regions to look at how ready clinicians feel to use AI, what shapes their intention to adopt it and what that means for education and training.
• Saturday 17 October, from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM in Marquis Salon 2, our Microlearn session “Using AI in physical therapy education with intention and integrity” introduces a five part framework built around awareness, judgement, reasoning, responsibility and leadership, to help educators engage with AI thoughtfully across their curricula and clinical education. You will leave with practical questions and discussion strategies you can use straight away.

Four of us will be there and keen to talk. You will find Rachael Lowe, our co-founder and CEO, alongside co-founder and CTO Tony Lowe, Physiopedia Plus Education Director Tarina van der Stockt and Shala Cunningham of Radford University, USA, who leads on our research initiatives. Whether you want to dig into the evidence, pressure test the pedagogy or simply understand what we are building and why, we are happy to have the conversation.

Your students are already using generative AI, whether or not the profession has decided how it should be used. The useful question is no longer whether they use it, but which tools they reach for and whether those tools help them think or think for them. We believe educators should be shaping that answer, not watching it be decided elsewhere. PAI is an educational tool for qualified professionals and students. It is not a medical device, it does not diagnose or recommend treatment, and it always requires independent professional judgement. That scope is deliberate, and we treat it as a strength rather than as small print.

In short, ELC 2026 is where we would love to meet you, whether at booth 15 or in one of our sessions. Come and see how AI can help students think rather than think for them, try the Clinical Case Simulator for yourself, and plan your visit using the full ELC 2026 conference programme.