Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 23, 2026
Haptic/Graphic Rehabilitation: Integrating a Robot into a Virtual Environment Library and Applying it to Stroke Therapy
Published on: August 8, 2011
Acceptance and Use of Generative AI in Clinical Rehabilitation: An Interdisciplinary Survey of US Rehabilitation
Malachy J Clancy1, Erin R Pletcher2, Alison Bell1
1Department of Occupational Therapy, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.
Objective:
To examine rehabilitation professionals' current clinical use and practice patterns of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and examine differences between users and nonusers.
Design:
Cross-sectional mixed-methods.
Setting:
Online survey.
Participants:
A total of 408 professionals responded, with 264 complete surveys (64.7% completion) analyzed quantitatively and 311 valid open-ended responses analyzed qualitatively. The participants included occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, clinical exercise physiologists, and athletic trainers in the United States.
Interventions:
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures:
Researcher-designed survey based on the Technology Acceptance Model and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology.
Results:
Responses were received from all regions of the US, and were primarily occupational therapists (n=136, 51.5%) and women (n=214, 81.1%). Most participants identified as nonusers (n=154, 58.3%), whereas 41.6% (n=101) reported using GenAI some or most of the time. ChatGPT was the most common platform identified by all participants (n=241, 91.3%). GenAI was recognized by rehabilitation professionals as a tool to support patient care and administrative tasks. Users were significantly more likely than nonusers to perceive GenAI as useful in 5 of 7 domains (P<.001) and easy to use in 3 of 6 domains (P<.001). Logistic regression demonstrated that peer influence was the strongest predictor of use (P<.001, odds ratio 6.16, 95% CI, 2.94-12.93).
Conclusions:
Perceptions of usefulness, ease of use, and the social influence of peers significantly influence rehabilitation professionals' adoption and the use of GenAI within clinical practice.