Welcome back everyone! If this is your first time to The PT Page, then I guess just “welcome!” and thanks for being here. For all the newbies, after you read (or listen) to this blog post, head over to the about page to learn a little more about me and what The PT Page is all about. The year is still very young and with every new year comes new trends – fashion trends, internet trends, home trends, and yes, even PT trends. Keep reading to find out the 5 trends I think will dominate the PT world in 2025.
Trend #1. No More Accepting Bare Minimum Job Offers
More and more PT’s are leaving their current roles or the profession altogether. If employers want to retain employees or attract new staff, they’re going to have to start making their existing jobs and new job offers more enticing, because I think 2025 is gonna be the year PTs stop accepting the bare minimum.
The bare minimum job or job offer may look different depending on the setting. It could look like seeing 30+ patients a day, 95%+ productivity, 40+ hour work week, unpaid documentation time, low pay and/or minimal to no benefits. These bare minimum positions can have a few or a combination of these things, and many others.
PTs are no longer accepting the status quo. They know there are better options out there. New grads and experienced PTs are job shopping with a MUCH more critical eye than they used to. COVID caused “the great migration” and pushed some people to make a career change. Some PTs lost their jobs during COVID and new grads entering the field at that time had limited options.
I actually fell into the COVID new grad category myself. During COVID in 2020, many places weren’t looking to hire because they were more focused on getting their current staff back to work. However, those of us who just graduated and were looking, needed a job asap. If you were laid off you may have been in this situation as well. That urgency prompted many PTs to accept offers that we probably wouldn’t have had the job market been normal. A lot of employers got away with handing out some pretty shitty offers because honestly at the time that’s just how the market was.
Well, tides have definitely shifted. The COVID PT job market dust has definitely settled. Many employers report difficulty hiring and retaining their PTs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projected the need for PTs to increase by 14% from 2023-2033, which is MUCH faster than the normal average for job growth. That’s less than 10 years away. LinkedIn also slotted PT at #3 for its “Jobs on the Rise list”.
Based on market needs and demand, employers are going to have to be a lot more competitive with their offers to hire and keep their PTs. I think 2025 is the year they start to realize it.
Trend #2. Fighting Reimbursement Cuts
We have acknowledged insurance’s part in low reimbursement rates. We haven’t been ignoring this fact, but we also haven’t actually done anything about it either. For the most part it’s just been Hunger Games style – every man for themself and may the odds be ever in your favor.
Well, I think 2025 is going to look very different. Right before the year’s end I put out a legislative update which mentioned the Medicare Stabilization Act. The bill would reverse the proposed reimbursement cuts from CMS and actually result in an increase for the first time in several years. Unfortunately, this was cut in the temporary agreement Congress reached to avoid a government shutdown. All hope is not lost though, because there will be another chance in March when Congress will have to revisit this issue.
In 2025 we’re going to see legislation like this. I think we’ll get stronger pushes from the APTA to maintain and improve reimbursement. Several other healthcare professionals and their national organizations are lobbying for this as well. Most importantly, patients will join the fight this year.
Providers and patients are officially done accepting the ridiculous denials and reimbursement cuts from insurance companies. The end of 2024 has brought that unrest to a tipping point. Obviously that frustration was there before, but I‘ve seen a massive increase in everyone having discussions about this. I’ve seen it more on social media, the news, and even have more clinicians and patients talking about it at my work place than ever. These concerns aren’t going away, they’re just carrying over into 2025. I think this is the year where everyone is concerned about this, we’re all on board, and we decide to start finding solutions and take action.
Trend #3. PTs Will Go It Alone
Because of Trends 1 and 2, I think this will be the year we see many PTs leave traditional work settings to go out on their own. This idea is obviously not new. I feel like there was already an uptick in this trend in 2024, but I think 2025 is where we’ll see it really take off. For the PTs who have thought about it or been on the fence about starting their own business I think this will be the year they take the leap.
Many PTs are looking to be their own boss, work with their ideal clientele, and find financial freedom. A lot of PT’s are looking for something different than what the traditional PT career path has to offer. They want the ability to make their own hours, pay off their student debt, treat how they want to, set their own productivity standards, and pursue their interests and passions freely. Rather than continue participating in the rat race of mediocre job offers and being at the mercy of insurance companies, they’ll start their own businesses.
I don’t even think we’ll necessarily see these PTs reaching for private practice with multiple employees. I think most will actually start businesses independently with the intention to keep it that way or maybe to eventually grow into a very small team of 1-2 other PTs. They won’t be worried about turning into a big conglomerate or chain. Their main concern will be maintaining that clinical integrity and lifestyle freedom. Are you one of these PTs who’ve thought about taking the leap? Is 2025 your year? I’m curious so share in the comments.
Trend #4. Embracing AI
PTs starting up their own businesses wear all the hats. Not only are they the clinical director, but they’re also head of marketing, head of accounting, front office, and CEO. They’ll be on the lookout for tools to automate and streamline their long, never-ending to-do list.
This is where AI comes in. I wrote a previous blog post on the possibilities of AI. Part of the reason I wrote that is because I don’t feel the rehab industry has fully embraced AI yet. BUT I think 2025 is the year that changes.
Obviously AI became even more popular in 2024. In 2025 we’ll see everyone from individual PTs to small private practice owners to directors of rehab at large hospitals explore what AI has to offer. They’ll start using AI to gather valuable information, streamline everyday processes, and make the lives of PTs and patients easier. For the first time we won’t be focused on fearing AI, but instead embracing it and using it to its full potential.
My personal AI favorite is Everbility. I think we can all agree one of the worst parts of the job is documentation. Everbility’s AI documentation system offers several tools including templates, AI writer, and voice recording to make doing notes a breeze. They also offer an assistant and research finder function. Everbility is all about giving time back to therapists and making our lives easier. I’m very proud to partner with anyone with that goal in mind. I have a discount code for you on a 3-month or year subscription with Everbility if you sign up by using this link.
Everbility is the perfect way to jump on this AI trend before everyone else does! What do you think of AI? Ready to embrace it or still not there yet? Share where you’re at and why in the comments.
Trend #5. PTs Embracing the Wellness Expert Role
Not only will more PT’s go out on their own in 2025, but they’ll also look for new ways to monetize their skill set. Many PTs are passionate about health and fitness, myself included. One of the best feelings I get as a PT is when my patient says that physical therapy has made them want to start healthier habits.
I’ve spoken before on how PTs are the PERFECT healthcare professionals to be educating on general health and fitness. PTs are ready to move into this space and get paid for it.
I think this will be the year we see PTs embracing a wellness expert role. Our background in health, fitness, and medicine positions us perfectly for it. As PT’s we know so much more and can do so much more good than just what insurance pays us for. There are also SO many people looking for guidance in these areas, but they want a credible, trusted professional to help them. 2025 is PT’s year that will solidify us as that bridge between rehab and wellness. It’s really going to shine a light on the untapped potential for monetization for PTs and the larger impact we can have on people’s health.
What do you think of these 5 trends? Any you agree with or really disagree with? Is there a different trend that you can think of I didn’t talk about here? Or which one of these are you most excited to see? Drop it in the comments, I’d love to read your thoughts. Start the conversation and don’t forget to hit “subscribe” below to get new blog posts directly to your inbox. Follow the_pt_page on Instagram and Threads as well to keep the conversation going and stay up to date on all things PT!
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