Research Paper Outline Guide

I. Introduction: Physical therapy is treatment for injury or deformity by physical

methods rather than medicine or surgery. Many people come in contact with Physical
Therapy whether for themselves or family.
A. Opening Hook Sentence: Patients think that Physical Therapy is magic, and after
the first visit they should feel fine and not need to come back.
1. Interesting Detail: Advances are applying to software, equipment,
and treatments.
2. Interesting Detail: Some advances are as simple as new apps on
phones to help people with certain disabilities or apps for the use
of doctors.
B. Thesis Statement: Technology has advanced physical therapy by giving the
patient and therapist an easier way to communicate through text/email more often
and new products and equipment to enhance patients progress in therapy.
II. Body Paragraph: Positive Text/email notifications
A. 1
st
Point: If physical therapists could contact their patients in a more convenient
form such as text/email, patients outcome and attendance could benefit.
1. Detail: Patients attendance would benefit because text/email
notifications would automatically [alert] patients to upcoming
appointments or schedule changes. (Bronwyn Spira and Tejal
Ramaiya, page 2)
2. Detail: Some technology is not yet popular enough to use, but
physical therapists Bronwyn Spira and Tejal Ramaiya say that
these text/email notifications could extend to reminding patients
to complete their home exercise programs. (New Technology For
Your Physical Therapy Practice, page 2)
B. 2
nd
Point: If physical therapists could contact their patients in a more convenient
form such as text/email, patients outcome and attendance could benefit.
1. Detail: The text/email notifications are said to improve
patient/therapist interaction as well as patient outcomes.
(Bronwyn Spira and Tejal Ramaiya, page 2) The text feature of
this technological advancement will allow patients to speak to their
therapist when desired. Patients outcome could improve because
they could receive assistance at a more convenient time, therefore
patients could progress in their treatment plan.
2. Detail: Texting/email notifications could increase patient
attendance (Bronwyn Spira and Tejal Ramaiya, page 2) because
of the constant communication with their therapist. As long as
someone is keeping each patient accountable for their treatment
plan and therapy appointments.
III. Body Paragraph: Cons Text/email notifications
A. 1
st
Point: Although text/email notifications seem to have solved all issues, this is
also additional work and effort for the therapist.
1. Detail: Bronwyn Spira and Tejal Ramaiya, two therapists, say that
these solutions require additional administrative time and effort.
(page 2)
2. Detail: In the article New Technology for Your Physical Therapy
Practice it is said that they (patients) will begin to expect mobile
conveniences. (Bronwyn and Ramaiya, page 2)
B. 2
nd
Point: One point of view says that patient attendance would improve and
relationships between patient and therapist would improve while some disagree
and say that text/email would come between patient and therapist in a negative
way.
3. Detail: A Physical Therapist said that text/email alerts can create
poor relations between patients and administrative staff.
(Bronwyn and Ramaiya, page 2)
4. Detail: Some businesses have advanced to technology, although
Physical Therapy is not one of those businesses that have. The
patients of these physical therapist offices are not familiar with
technology like other patients are.
IV. Body Paragraph: Increasing Technology For PT:
A. 1
st
Point: Apps have been created for smartphones to allow patients to learn on
their own or in addition to what they learn at their sessions with their therapist.
1. Detail: Erinn Hutkin writes about Tim Goldberg, the interim
manager of rehab therapies at Scripps Health in Encinitas. Time
Goldberg says apps can be used to track a home exercise program
to help teach patients about their posture and body mechanics for
example. (Technology helps advance physical therapy, page 2)
2. Detail: Another manager of rehab services, Michael Ryder, said
that there are computer programs that allow those in physical
therapy to watch personalized videos at home so they can do
physical therapy exercises off-site between sessions. (Erinn
Hutkin, page 2)
B. 2
nd
Point: Video usage is useful for Physical Therapy patients who wish to
continue their exercises at home, along with software to allow patients to log what
they do on their own and allow them and their therapist to keep track of what they
do daily.
1. Detail: A doctor, Darshen David, said videos are becoming more
often used in the physical therapy technological world. Darshen
David said those in physical therapy are also now using video to
analyze normal versus abnormal movement patterns. (Erinn
Hutkin, page 2)
2. Detail: Michael Ryder says that patients can keep an online diary
that their therapist can check. (Erinn Hutkin, page 2)
V. Body Paragraph: New devices used in the PT office (video)
A. 1
st
Point: Advancing technology in Physical therapy includes machines and
devices that just now beginning to be used and popular in the PT offices.
1. Detail: Kathy Brady speaks in a MoveForwardPT.com video about
stroke patients and technology used more commonly for stroke
patients rather than everyday patients. Kathy Brady mentions a
new system developed called the zero-g and it was developed by
one of [their] researchers, Doctor Joe Hyler. (MoveForwardPT,
YouTube Video)
2. Detail: Brady talks briefly about another type of technology used
in the area of stroke called the bioness l300 and it is an electrical
stimulation device that is used to help people walk as a result of a
neurological injury. (MoveForwardPT, YouTube Video)
B. 2
nd
Point: These advancing devices and machines allow therapists to move along
quicker in their patients treatment plans and allow their patients to perform more
tasks in their therapy visits.
1. Detail: Kathy Brady explains the importance of the zero-g by
explaining that [They] can now challenge the patient earlier and
[they] can keep them (patient) in a very safe environment as [they]
are challenging them (patient). (MoveForwardPT, YouTube
Video) This machine assists patients in walking, walking over
objects, climbing stairs while also helping the patient to keep their
balance.
2. Detail: The bioness l300 helps the patient get up sooner, it helps
them do things that are more challenging for them; research does
show the sooner you get them up and walking, the sooner they
recover. (MoveForwardPT, YouTube Video)
VI. Body Paragraph: Emerging Technologies in PT & Rehab
A. 1
st
Point: Making therapy enjoyable for some people can seem impossible, but
technology is making it easier to grab patients attention. One new technological
device is the cognitive rehabilitation system which is touchscreen and used for
injuries involved with the brain.
1. Detail: One new technological device is the cognitive rehabilitation
system which is touchscreen and used for injuries involved with
the brain. This device uses Brain-Training exercises and a
dedicated touchscreen workstation. (The Emerging Technologies
in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Slide 19) This touchscreen
device will attract patients because technology is so common in
every aspect of life now.
2. Detail: The goal of Health Offices now are to become more user-
friendly interfaces. (The Emerging Technologies in Physical
Therapy and Rehabilitation, Slide 18) To become more user-
friendly when it comes to therapy, is to create more corporative
and supportive patients.
B. 2
nd
Point: Physical Therapy should be motivational for not only the therapist but
also for the patient. To get a patient to do their exercise and also desire to do it
more to improve themselves is a truly motivated patient.
1. Detail: A goal of technological advances in therapy is to improve
motivation and compliance through games. (The Emerging
Technologies in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Slide 12)
2. Detail: There are physiotherapy kits for Kinect and specialized
physical therapy games, to enhance motivation and fun factor for
patients. (The Emerging Technologies in Physical Therapy and
Rehabilitation, Slide 13) These more commonly used games and
systems make patients feel more comfortable with exercises and
also drive them to do their exercises.
VII. Conclusion
A. Synthesis of Information in paper: Physical Therapy has technologically advanced
through equipment, apps for phones and new ways of completing tasks all with
the same goal of making therapy more enjoyable and practical for patients.
1. Detail: Patients can now communicate with their therapist through
text or email regarding any questions, appointment changes or
reminders of home exercises.
2. Detail: New and improved equipment has been created to interest
patients and increase their sense of motivation regarding their
treatment plan.
B. Closing Statement: Physical Therapy and all health facilities will continue to
develop and enhance technologically, while also enhancing the attitude of all
patients experiencing therapy or any other health care service.