Seven Community-Driven Physical Therapy Resources

Learning doesn't stop after grad school; In the ever-changing, fast-paced, tumultuous world of medicine, once you stop learning, you may as well stop practicing. Staying current is mandatory and it's the only way to remain a musculoskeletal expert. So how do you accomplish this once your TA's, instructors, and preceptors aren't there to help? You explore; interact with peers; tackle continuing education courses; and dive into every resource available. Luckily, you can accomplish all of these tasks online. Here are eight community-driven online PT resources to sink your knowledge-craving-teeth into:

1. PT Think Tank: According to the website, PT Think Tank is a blog dedicated to critical observations about health, science, and the world of physical therapy. Moreover, it's a sounding board and outlet for the exploration of technology and healthcare. The integration of web and mobile tools into healthcare is revolutionary, and the concept of empowered patients is significant. Basically, PT Think Tank has a pulse on the PT realm, and they're on a mission to make you think, discuss, and grow. If you're looking for empowerment through knowledge and intelligent conversation, then PT Think Tank is right up your alley.
2. #solvept: Over the last few months, Twitter has become a forum for physical therapists to discuss upcoming APTA and government legislation, industry trends, and the whys and hows of elevating the profession. One recent example is the controversial RC #23. Every Tuesday night a new topic unfolds on Twitter via the #solvePT hashtag and those conversations persist throughout the Twitterverse for as long as people talk about them. To join the convo, simply search #solvept, follow the real-time feed, and start tweeting.
3. Physiopedia: When you think about Physiopedia, think Wikipedia for physiotherapists! This expert-driven collection of content allows physiotherapists across the globe to “contribute, share, and gain knowledge” in evidence-based practice. But it's more than simply encyclopedic entries, you can share research, take courses, and team up with peers on projects. Lastly, like Wikipedia, you can contribute and edit content, too.
4. Physiospot: Physiospot offers a wealth of information to help physical therapists achieve autonomy, access continuous education, and increase professional development. According to their website, Physiospot is a resource where physiotherapists, physical therapists, and other health care professionals can easily keep up-to-date with current affairs related to the health care, physiotherapy, and physical therapy professions. It presents featured articles, new research, current news, recent publications...in one easily accessible place. In addition to researching, you can also job hunt and follow upcoming events.
5. Therapydia: Therapydia is the largest online community dedicated to physical therapy. With a goal to unify all 212,000 PTs in the US using social media and mobilize them around key issues to elevate the profession, Therapydia provides PTs with a centralized place for online collaboration and communication. Here, in addition to staying current on the latest news and industry content, you can use Social Pulse, a free assessment tool that enables you to measure and build your professional brand online.
6. PTNow: Created by the APTA, this online interactive community is only open to APTA members, for now. While it's still in beta testing, and actively accepting feedback to further its development, PTNow will be where you live-striving to do the best for your patients, within the constraints of bigger and bigger caseloads, less and less time, and more and more information to look up and assess. The site currently contains three main segments:
   • Clinical Summaries
   • Search
   • Community Forums
7. WebPT: Not only does WebPT empower physical therapists to achieve greatness in practice through a web-based EMR solution, but will also provide educational resources to support evidence-based practice. From blog posts and white papers to webinars and social media (Twitter, Vimeo, and Facebook), WebPT interacts with the rehab community (including their 12,000+ members) daily to develop well-rounded and super informed educational resources.

Feeling empowered, yet? Time to get busy. Peruse these sites, participate in the conversation, and share your knowledge and best practices. Through our participation, we can expand and improve the PT community. Together, we can elevate the profession.

About the Authors

Erica Cohen is a copywriter for WebPT. After graduating summa cum laude from Arizona State University, Erica obtained her Master of Arts from the University of Chicago in Social Science with an emphasis on Cognitive Psychology.

Charlotte Bohnett is a copywriter at WebPT. She graduated summa cum laude from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. While working in marketing, Charlotte earned her Master of Science in Technical and Professional Communication from Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan.