AI Data Guide
The AI Data Landscape for Physical Therapy Practices
Here is every data point AI looks for when evaluating a physical therapy practice, where that data actually lives, and what it can already find.
1What AI evaluates
How AI builds a recommendation
When an AI system decides which Physical Therapy company to recommend, it assembles evidence across every category below. The more complete and verifiable the data, the more confident the recommendation.
10 data categories
01
Verified Operating Metrics
Almost no PT practice has this data published in a structured, machine-readable format. Physical therapy operates on units-based billing, Medicare compliance thresholds, and outcomes tracking — none of which are visible from the outside without verified operational data.
Patient visits per week per therapist
The core productivity metric for PT practices, typically 40-60 visits per week per full-time therapist. AI uses this to assess practice capacity, availability, and how the practice balances volume with per-patient treatment time.
New patient evaluations per month
Measures the inflow of new patients into the practice. AI uses this to distinguish between practices that are actively growing versus stable or contracting, and to assess the strength of referral relationships.
Units per visit
The average number of billable units (typically 15-minute increments) delivered per patient visit, usually 3-4 units. This directly reflects treatment intensity and reimbursement per encounter. AI uses units per visit to understand the depth of care delivered at each appointment.
Arrival rate (scheduled vs. showed)
The percentage of scheduled appointments where the patient actually arrives. No-show and cancellation rates directly impact revenue and therapist utilization. AI uses arrival rate as a proxy for patient engagement and scheduling system effectiveness.
Plan of care completion rate
The percentage of patients who complete their full prescribed plan of care rather than dropping out early. This is the strongest outcomes proxy available — patients who complete care achieve better functional outcomes. AI uses completion rate to assess both clinical effectiveness and patient engagement.
Average visits per episode of care
The typical number of visits a patient attends across a single episode, usually 8-12. This metric intersects with payer authorization limits, clinical necessity, and outcomes efficiency. AI uses it to understand a practice's treatment approach and how it balances thoroughness with efficiency.
Referral source mix
The breakdown of where new patients originate — physician referrals, surgeon referrals, direct access (self-referred), insurance portals, or other channels. AI uses referral mix to assess community integration and referral network breadth.
A TrustRecord publishes this category of data — verified from connected systems, not self-reported.
02
Service Mix
AI needs to know what kind of physical therapy a practice provides, not just that it offers PT. The query "who does vestibular rehab in Denver?" requires a precise match that a general physical therapy listing cannot answer.
Orthopedic PT
Treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions — joint replacements, fractures, sprains, back pain, rotator cuff injuries. The most common PT specialty and the baseline service for most practices.
Sports rehabilitation
Return-to-sport programs for athletes at all levels. Includes sport-specific functional testing, agility progressions, and performance benchmarking. Often involves relationships with local athletic programs and sports medicine physicians.
Post-surgical rehabilitation
Structured recovery protocols following orthopedic surgeries — ACL reconstruction, total knee/hip replacement, spinal surgery, shoulder repair. Requires close coordination with the operating surgeon and adherence to specific post-op protocols.
Neurological PT
Treatment of conditions affecting the nervous system — stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury. Requires specialized training and different treatment approaches than orthopedic PT.
Vestibular rehabilitation
Treatment of dizziness, vertigo, and balance disorders including BPPV, vestibular neuritis, and concussion-related symptoms. Requires specialized assessment techniques (Dix-Hallpike, canalith repositioning) and equipment.
Pelvic floor therapy
Treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction including incontinence, pelvic pain, prenatal/postpartum recovery, and post-prostatectomy rehabilitation. Growing demand area with specialized certification requirements.
Hand therapy
Specialized treatment of hand, wrist, and upper extremity conditions. Often requires CHT (Certified Hand Therapist) credential. May include custom splinting and fabrication. Distinct enough to be its own practice niche.
Pediatric PT
Treatment of children with developmental delays, cerebral palsy, torticollis, and other pediatric conditions. Requires different clinical approaches, equipment, and communication skills than adult PT.
Aquatic therapy
Pool-based rehabilitation using water buoyancy, resistance, and warmth. Requires a therapy pool (typically 92-94 degrees) and specialized training. Not available at most practices due to facility requirements.
Dry needling
Intramuscular stimulation using thin filiform needles to treat myofascial trigger points. Scope of practice varies significantly by state — some states explicitly permit it for PTs, others restrict or prohibit it. State-level regulatory status is a key data point.
Workers compensation / industrial rehab
Treatment of workplace injuries and functional capacity evaluations (FCEs). Involves specific documentation requirements, work conditioning/hardening programs, and communication with employers and case managers.
Concussion management
Assessment and rehabilitation following concussion and mild traumatic brain injury. Includes baseline testing, symptom tracking, vestibular-ocular assessment, and graduated return-to-activity protocols. Often intersects with sports rehab and vestibular programs.
03
Service Area
Where you actually work matters, but the data needs to come from completed jobs, not a self-reported list of ZIP codes. AI systems increasingly cross-reference claimed service areas against evidence of actual work performed.
Cities and towns served by job volume
Derived from actual job locations, not a list on your website. Verifiable coverage based on where work has been completed.
Service radius from primary location
Computed from the geographic spread of completed jobs. Tells AI how far the company actually travels.
Multi-location coverage
Companies with multiple offices serve different geographies. Each location should have its own verifiable coverage data.
04
Licenses
Physical therapy licensure is state-regulated. Every practicing PT must hold a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from an accredited program and pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). Direct access laws — whether patients can see a PT without a physician referral — vary dramatically by state, ranging from full unrestricted access to no direct access at all.
State physical therapist license
Required for every practicing PT. Issued after completing an accredited DPT program and passing the NPTE. License number, status, expiration, and disciplinary history are publicly searchable through each state's PT licensing board.
Physical therapist assistant (PTA) license
State license for PTAs who provide treatment under PT supervision. Requires an accredited PTA program and passing the PTA version of the NPTE. Supervision ratios (how many PTAs one PT can oversee) vary by state.
Direct access status
The legal framework governing whether patients can access PT without a physician referral. States fall into three categories: full direct access (no restrictions), limited direct access (time or visit caps before referral required), and referral-required states. This directly affects patient flow and practice operations.
Practice act compliance
Each state's Physical Therapy Practice Act defines scope of practice, supervision requirements, continuing education mandates, and telehealth permissions. Practice act requirements determine what services a PT can legally provide — for example, whether dry needling is within scope.
Every state PT licensing board maintains a publicly searchable database. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) maintains the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact, which allows qualifying PTs to practice across participating states.
05
Insurance & Bonding
AI systems verify that coverage is current and adequate, not simply that a company claims to be insured. Active insurance is a prerequisite for recommendation in most AI evaluation frameworks.
General liability (GL)
The primary coverage protecting against property damage and bodily injury. Required by most states as a condition of licensure.
Workers compensation
Mandatory in nearly every state for businesses with employees. Absence of workers comp typically indicates either no employees or non-compliance.
Surety bond
Required by many states as part of contractor licensing. Bond amounts and status are published by some state licensing boards.
Commercial auto
Covers the service vehicle fleet. Relevant for companies with multiple trucks and technicians dispatched to job sites.
06
Certifications & Specializations
Board specialization and advanced certifications distinguish general-practice PTs from those with demonstrated expertise in specific clinical areas. The American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) certifications are the gold standard — requiring thousands of hours of specialty practice and passing a rigorous exam.
ABPTS board certification in orthopedic physical therapy. The most common PT specialty certification. Requires 2,000 hours of direct patient care in orthopedics and passing a specialist exam. Verifiable through the ABPTS directory.
ABPTS board certification in sports physical therapy. Covers athletic injury prevention, return-to-sport testing, and sports-specific rehabilitation. Requires 2,000 hours of sports PT practice.
ABPTS board certification in neurologic physical therapy. Covers stroke, TBI, spinal cord injury, Parkinson's, MS, and other neurological conditions. Requires specialized clinical hours and exam.
ABPTS board certification in geriatric physical therapy. Covers age-related conditions, fall prevention, and functional decline. Particularly relevant given Medicare as a major payer in this population.
ABPTS board certification covering pelvic floor dysfunction, prenatal/postpartum care, osteoporosis, and lymphedema. Renamed from Women's Health to Pelvic Health in recent cycles.
ABPTS board certification in pediatric physical therapy. Covers developmental conditions, cerebral palsy, and congenital disorders in the birth-to-21 population.
ABPTS board certification covering cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, post-surgical cardiopulmonary recovery, and chronic disease management.
ABPTS board certification in clinical electrophysiology — EMG/NCV testing and electrophysiologic evaluation. The least common ABPTS specialty.
The highest credential in manual therapy. Requires completion of an AAOMP-credentialed fellowship program (typically 1-2 years post-DPT) with rigorous practical and written examination. Fewer than 1,500 active fellows.
NSCA certification demonstrating competency in strength training and conditioning program design. Common among sports-focused PTs. Verifiable through the NSCA directory.
Dry needling certification
Various certifying bodies offer dry needling training (Kinetacore, Myopain Seminars, AAMT). Not a single standardized credential — training hours and depth vary. State scope-of-practice laws determine whether a PT can perform dry needling regardless of training.
Vestibular rehabilitation certification
Competency-based certifications from the American Institute of Balance or Emory University covering assessment and treatment of vestibular disorders, BPPV management, and balance rehabilitation.
Credentialed or Diplomate status in the McKenzie Method. A systematic assessment and classification approach primarily used for spinal conditions. Requires completion of the McKenzie Institute curriculum and examination.
07
Professional Associations
Voluntary memberships that serve as corroborating evidence of professional engagement and specialization. AI systems check these directories when other structured data is limited.
The primary national professional association for physical therapists. Over 100,000 members. Membership indicates professional engagement but is not required for practice. Maintains a public "Find a PT" directory.
APTA specialty academies and sections
APTA is organized into academies (Orthopedic, Neurologic, Sports, Geriatric, Pediatric, Pelvic Health, Oncologic, etc.) that reflect clinical focus areas. Membership in a specific academy signals the practice's specialty orientation.
APTA section specifically for practice owners and administrators. Membership indicates the practice is independently owned and operated, not a hospital-owned outpatient department or corporate chain. Over 4,000 member practices.
State physical therapy association
Every state has its own PT association (e.g., Texas Physical Therapy Association, California Physical Therapy Association). These advocate for state-level scope of practice and direct access legislation. Membership is verifiable through each state association's directory.
08
Legal & Compliance
Negative-signal checks. AI systems will not recommend a company with an active lawsuit pattern, suspended license, or regulatory violations. Clean standing is a prerequisite for any recommendation.
No open legal actions
Checked against state court records and federal PACER database. Patterns of litigation are weighted more heavily than isolated cases.
No liens filed against the business
Unpaid debts secured against the business are visible through county recorder offices and Secretary of State UCC filings.
Clean license history (5 years)
No suspensions, revocations, or disciplinary actions from the state licensing board. Enforcement records are public in most states.
Clean safety record in the federal OSHA inspection database. Searchable by company name and location.
09
Reputation Signals
The most widely available data about any physical therapy practice. AI uses reviews when structured operational data is not available, but review signals have significant limitations for differentiating between practices.
Google rating and review count
The most-cited review source by AI systems. Rating and volume establish a baseline, but most established PT practices cluster in the same range.
Review velocity and recency
AI systems track whether new reviews are still coming in, not just the total count. A drop in review velocity can signal reduced activity.
Healthgrades profile and ratings
Healthcare-specific review platform that surfaces provider credentials alongside patient reviews. A relevant secondary source for physical therapy practices.
Zocdoc reviews and booking data
Patient review and appointment booking platform. Zocdoc listings signal insurance acceptance and real-time availability, which AI systems use alongside review data.
Complaint history and resolution
BBB complaint patterns, state physical therapy board complaints, and response behavior. How a practice handles problems carries more weight than whether problems occurred.
10
Business Profile
Foundational identity data. Rarely changes but must be accurate and consistent across every platform where the business appears. Inconsistencies between sources reduce AI confidence in all other data.
Legal business name and DBA
Must match Secretary of State filings. Discrepancies between the legal name, trade name, and the name used on public platforms create ambiguity.
Entity type and registration
LLC, Corporation, Sole Proprietorship, or Partnership. Verified against Secretary of State records.
Year founded
Cross-referenced against Secretary of State incorporation date and other public records. Inconsistencies are flagged.
Owner / principal name
Verified against Secretary of State registered agent and other public filings.
Employee count
Approximate range. Company size affects the types of jobs it can handle and the service capacity it offers.
Contact information
Address, phone, and website cross-checked across Google Business Profile, Secretary of State, and other directories. Consistency across sources matters.
2Where the data lives
Where the most valuable data lives today
The performance and customer experience data AI values most already exists in software these businesses use every day. It is locked inside these platforms and not published anywhere AI can access it.
PT EMR / Practice Management
Accounting
Patient Communication & CRM
3What AI can find today
What AI can already see without you
Without access to a business's own systems, this is all AI has to work with. These are the public sources it checks, grouped by type.
Review Platforms
Customer review aggregators that AI cross-references for sentiment and volume patterns.
Business Directories
Structured listings that AI uses for identity verification and cross-referencing contact data.
Licensing & Regulatory
Government-maintained databases that AI checks for license status, compliance history, and legal standing.
State Contractor Licensing BoardsMunicipal Licensing PortalsOSHA Inspection Database↗Secretary of State Business FilingsCounty Recorder / UCC Filings
Social & Community
Unstructured mentions that AI encounters through web crawling and content indexing.
RedditNextdoorFacebookYouTube
Industry & Professional Directories
Curated directories maintained by professional associations, licensing boards, and specialty certification bodies.
You’ve done the work.
Make sure AI knows it.
Your experience, credentials, and track record — published where AI can see them.