Remote Physical Therapy Jobs Are Here to Stay

In the first quarter of 2024, 35.5 million, or 22.9% of the US workforce, worked remotely. Some thought remote work would wain as the spread of COVID-19 did, but the opposite has proven to be true. Rates of remote workers continue to rise, increasing from 19.6% in early 2023. It is obvious to employers that management, sales, and office professionals are able to work remotely, but many other occupations also can—including physical therapists (PTs).

About 33% of physical therapists report providing telehealth services and 47% of physical therapy sessions involve some form of remote telehealth. This can include real-time meetings with patients, emailed instructions about exercises, online tracking systems, or other forms of remote monitoring and communication. A shortage of qualified physical therapists is predicted for the next 12 years. Those who remain in the industry will demand the flexibility and work-life balance that remote or hybrid work offers. 

The possibility of remote work will make the profession more appealing to students. In addition, patients report positive feelings about remote physical therapy. In a 2020 study, 94% of patients said they were satisfied with virtual physical therapy services and 92% were willing to attend remote physical therapy sessions again. These are all indicators that remote physical therapists will remain in demand.

Who Hires Remote Physical Therapists?

While not every company who hires physical therapists will offer the option of remote work, many hire remote or hybrid employees. Companies more likely to be remote positions include:

• Telehealth companies
• Large healthcare systems with telehealth teams
• Technology companies that focus on rehabilitation services
• Consulting
• Health providers that hire independent contractors
• Fitness or wellness companies
• Veterans Affairs
• Providers for rural health services
• Insurance companies and health care networks who need physical therapists to review treatment plans and provide additional support
• Community education providers or higher education institutions

How Are Remote Physical Therapy Jobs Different?

Besides the obvious answer of ditching the daily commute, there are other ways in which a remote physical therapy job differs from an in person one. You’ll have to be well-versed in the tech needed to provide physical therapy services virtually. This will include video conferencing services, electronic health records, telecommunication systems, secure messaging, wearable technology, activity trackers, artificial intelligence, and virtual or augmented reality.

Since services are delivered to patients who are also at home, physical therapists will sometimes need to be creative with tools and settings. A patient may not have hand weights but will have a few canned goods in their pantry. You’ll need to plan in advance if your patient will need any equipment to participate in the exercises effectively. In addition, therapists will need to be prepared to critique form without being right next to their patients.

Just as remote physical therapy jobs offer flexible schedules to professionals, it also offers a wider range of appointment times for patients. Remote physical therapists may be asked to schedule in the evenings or on the weekends to accommodate work schedules for their patients, even if offices are not open.

What Services Can be Provided Remotely?

Most physical therapy services that are provided in an office or health care facility can also be provided virtually (just like how your patients usually complete their home exercise programs—at home). As long as both the patient and the provider have access to the necessary technology to interact virtually, physical therapy services can be provided. Some common areas of practice where remote physical therapy is offered include:

• School based therapy
• Sports injuries and sports medicine
• Lower limb injuries
• Functional or mobility screenings
• Evaluations
• Treatment planning
• Post-discharge or post-operative follow ups
• Safety evaluations
• Therapeutic monitoring
• Exercise guidance or demonstrations
• Classes and other educational programming
• Therapy for neurological conditions like Parkinsons

What Qualifications Do I Need to Be a Remote Physical Therapist?

To start a career as a remote physical therapist, you will need to qualify as a physical therapist in the state in which you wish to work. This includes earning a bachelor’s degree followed by attending physical therapy school to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, typically a three-year program. You’ll need to pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) and follow the procedures for securing a license in the state where you plan to work. Because every state has unique requirements, the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact streamlines the process for clinicians who provide telehealth services in multiple states. Whether you work in an office, health care facility, or from the comfort of your home, you will need to follow all licensing requirements, including specific certifications, continuing education programs, and supervision guidelines.

Additional skills you will want to develop that are necessary for physical therapists working remotely are:

• Tech skills and familiarity with common remote monitoring, communication, and documentation systems
• Effective written and verbal communication
• Quick thinking and adaptability
• Teaching remotely
• Clear communication and providing emotional support to patients

What Regulations Apply to Virtual Physical Therapy?

Most states have additional regulations that apply to all telehealth. Some specifically address virtual physical therapy, but others include PT in general telehealth regulations. You’ll need to be familiar with the regulation governing the state you work in. One survey identified 40 states that had specific references to telehealth for physical therapy. Eight states included physical therapy services under telehealth laws that apply to multiple healthcare fields. Most states do not impose additional requirements on telehealth providers.

Several flexibilities that were instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic are set to expire in the second half of 2025. In the past, CMS required a physician or practitioner to be in the same building and immediately available to offer assistance. This was changed to allow the immediately available supervisor to be accessible by phone or video call.

A 2025 proposed rule would allow audio-only telehealth services. If a patient chooses not to use video or does not have access to a video conferencing technology, services could be provided in an audio format. There will be billing modifiers added to indicate that this was an audio-only interaction.

States also determine how coverage and reimbursement works for remote physical therapy services. Some states guarantee that payment will be the same for telehealth as it is for in-person treatment. Others simply guarantee that the services will be covered by insurance regardless of whether it is provided remotely or in person, but does not guarantee that the reimbursement will be equal.

How Do You Perform Remote Physical Therapy?

As a remote physical therapist, you will meet with patients via a HIPPA-compliant secure telecommunication system. Nearly all healthcare providers have established standards and best practices related to telehealth at this point.

Some sessions may simply be remote monitoring, where you check in with the patient, review treatment plans and goals, and trouble shoot anywhere there are problems. This is called Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM). These sessions may include having the patient go through exercises to ensure they are performed correctly, answering questions about pain, or increasing reps or movements.

Telehealth visits address all aspects of a patient’s care and would also include giving tailored guidance to patients as they exercise. Some patients may have been discharged with equipment like bands, straps, canes, or other assistive devices. If not, you will need to be creative in helping them to find household objects to replace this equipment. Patients can use a belt instead of a strap, a pillow for extra support, or a chair to assist with balance.

You may or may not have the opportunity to meet these patients in person while you are treating them. You’ll need to focus on building rapport and trust virtually. As the availability of remote physical therapy continues to grow, it improves access for patients. They may choose remote physical therapy for any number of reasons, including:

• A lack of transportation
• Mobility concerns that make navigating a medical complex difficult
• Living in a rural community that does not have a local physical therapist
• Being at work during typical office hours
• Needing immediate feedback on a concern that can’t wait until their next in-person appointment

How Do I Find a Remote Physical Therapy Job?

Searching for a remote physical therapy job is easier than ever before. There are filters on standard job sites (such as LinkedIn and Indeed) where you can search specifically for remote work. There are also job boards for healthcare positions such as Vivian and ones for physical therapists such as the American Physical Therapy Association career center. Many telehealth companies advertise open positions on their website.

Many companies use software to scan and sort received resumes prior to being vetted by a person. In fact, 99% of fortune 500 companies use applicant tracking system (ATS) software as a first step toward choosing a candidate. Create an ATS-compliant resume when applying for a job to have a better chance of securing an interview. Use these tips to create a resume that is easy for technology to scan and understand.

• Save your resume as a Word doc rather than a PDF unless specifically noted in the job description.
• Put important information in the body of the resume, not the header or footer.
• Use keywords from the job description in your cover letter and resume. This should include education and experience as well as soft skills such as communication, empathy, and time management.
• Do not include images, charts, or graphics in your resume.
• Use bullet points that are easy to scan and clearly match the job description.
• Consider using an ATS-compliant template available online.

You’ll likely have a remote interview for this position as well. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your ability to give answers clearly, communicate openly, and develop rapport via technology. Don’t overlook the importance of how you connect with your interviewer.

Remote Physical Therapy Jobs Are Becoming a Core Element of PT

While so may have predicted that telehealth use would decline after the pandemic, the opposite has proven true. Telehealth offers flexibility for both the patient and the provider and better work life balance for physical therapists. Most insurance companies are also keeping pace by updating their coverage and regulations to include telehealth. It is proving to be a cost-effective, time-saving option.

Technology enables even better access to remote physical therapy with the increased use of AI, virtual or augmented reality, electronic health records, and remote monitoring devices like wearable technology. Schools are starting to incorporate best practices into their curriculum to prepare the next generation of physical therapists to work just as well in a remote environment as they do in person.