Since the beginning of the millennium, there has been a remarkable change in how people access and share information. Much of this information is user-generated content found on social media sites. As digital technologies and social media continue to expand, health care providers must adapt their professional communication to meet the expectations and needs of consumers. This adaptation may include communication on social media sites. However, many health care providers express concerns that professional social media use, particularly interactions with patients, is ethically problematic. Social media engagement does not create ethical dissonance if best practices are observed and online communication adheres to terms of service, professional standards, and organizational policy. A well-executed social media presence provides health care providers, including physical therapists, the opportunity-and perhaps a professional obligation-to use social media sites to share or create credible health care information, filling a consumer void for high-quality online information on fitness, wellness, and rehabilitation. This perspective article provides a broad review of the emergence of social media in society and health care, explores policy implications of organizational adoption of health care social media, and proposes individual opportunities and guidelines for social media use by the physical therapy professional.

Professional physical therapist education has experienced a transformation over the last few decades, moving to a doctoring profession with more autonomy and a broader scope of practice. These changes have occurred in parallel with systemic and structural changes in health care and higher education, both of which have experienced challenges with improving access and controlling costs, and have become a centerpiece of legislative and political discourse. At the same time, advances in technology have introduced new possibilities in education, with the emergence of online, blended, and “flipped” learning models that supplement or replace face-to-face instruction with distance learning. Hybrid education is a type of blended learning, utilizing both face-to-face and online instructional strategies. In a hybrid learning environment, online content may be delivered synchronously or asynchronously, replacing traditional face-to-face instructional time and reducing “seat time” for students. Recent attention has been brought to online and hybrid/blended learning in physical therapist education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as programs have been required to abruptly move from face to face to remote instruction. Hybrid and other forms of blended learning strategies have been described at the physical therapist education course level. However, there is no literature describing hybrid learning implementation at the physical therapist education program level, and there has been limited discussion on best practices for delivering hybrid, blended, and online instruction in physical therapist education. This perspective provides an overview of hybrid education, describes theoretical frameworks that guide implementation of a hybrid education curriculum, and discusses future directions for hybrid physical therapist education and educational research.

This study aimed to describe use of experiential learning (EL) with children in entry-level doctor of physical therapy programs. Experiential learning is a recommended educational strategy for building physical therapy knowledge and skills. Subjects: Faculty teaching pediatric content in accredited doctor of physical therapy programs was recruited; 106 responded. Students representing 20 participating programs were also invited to participate; 23 responded. Methods: Participants received an online questionnaire including closed-and open-ended questions regarding EL with children. Descriptive statistics were used to describe responses. Responses to open-ended questions were compiled and reviewed. Results: Respondents reported an average of 12.4 hours of EL with children in required courses. Satisfaction with quality was stronger than with amount of EL. Several perceived barriers and facilitators were reported. Conclusions: Use of and satisfaction with EL with children in physical therapists' education vary. Continued research on this variation and potential effects to educational outcomes is needed.