Innovation in PM&R

1. How can medical students, residents, and practicing physiatrists meaningfully participate in rehabilitation innovation at their respective stages of training and career? What kinds of skills should they be developing to engage in this space?

Trainees at any level and physiatrists in practice can participate in rehabilitation innovation by joining or leading research or quality improvement projects, observing clinical workflows to identify unmet needs, and by collaborating with interdisciplinary teams that are already doing research. Some medical schools, residency programs, or fellowship programs have optional or required research opportunities or electives that provide the time to engage in these projects. There is also a national research training program for medical students as well as one for residents/early career investigators. See links below. We’d also recommend attending national meetings, like AAP and AAPMR.

https://www.physiatry.org/programs/medical-student-programs/research-based-rrems/

https://www.physiatry.org/programs/rehab-medicine-scientist-training-program-rmstp/

2. Do you need a technical or engineering background to contribute to rehab innovation, or what roles do clinicians without that training realistically play, if any?

A technical or engineering background is not required to contribute meaningfully to rehabilitation innovation. Clinicians without formal technical training play essential roles by defining real clinical problems, ensuring solutions are usable and safe, validating clinical relevance, and by guiding implementation. Their lived experience with patients and systems is often the most critical input. While some technical literacy is helpful, most innovation succeeds through collaboration, where clinicians partner with engineers, designers, and industry experts. 

3. What can interested medical students and residents start doing now to position themselves for innovation-focused careers in PM&R?

See answer to #1. Interested students and residents can start by seeking mentors in PM&R who are involved in innovation, research, or entrepreneurship, and by participating in interdisciplinary projects or innovation programs. Learning fundamentals such as clinical research methods, quality improvement, policy related to technology, or human-centered design can be very helpful. Attending innovation-focused conferences is also helpful.

4. How do you see PM&R evolving over the next 10-20 years with accelerating technological innovation? How different will the field look, if at all?

Technology and innovation have always been at the core of PM&R but as tech evolves, so does our field. Over the next 10–20 years, PM&R is likely to become even more data-driven, personalized, and technology-enabled, with wider use of wearables, remote monitoring, robotics, neuromodulation, and AI-supported decision-making. Care may increasingly extend beyond the clinic into patients’ homes and communities through tele-rehabilitation and digital platforms. While the core mission of optimizing function and quality of life will remain unchanged, the tools, settings, and scale at which physiatrists practice will likely expand significantly.

5. Is innovation limited to academic centers, or can community physiatrists participate meaningfully as well? What does that realistically look like outside of research-heavy institutions

Innovation is not limited to academic centers, and community physiatrists can participate meaningfully by piloting new care models, adopting and refining technologies, and by providing real-world feedback on what works in everyday practice. Outside research-heavy institutions, innovation may look like workflow redesign, community partnerships, telehealth implementation, or collaboration with industry as a clinical advisor. These real-world environments are often where scalable, practical innovations are truly tested and refined. Often academic centers are looking to partner with those practicing in rural or satellite areas to increase the reach of their research, disseminate findings, or study whether innovative tech can be implemented in different environments.

6. General advice for medical students and residents interested in innovation within PM&R

For medical students and residents interested in innovation within PM&R, the most important advice is to stay clinically grounded while remaining curious and open to collaboration. Focus on understanding patient needs deeply, be willing to learn outside traditional medical training, and seek mentors from diverse backgrounds. Innovation in PM&R is less about having the perfect technical idea and more about curiosity, teamwork, and translating good ideas into meaningful improvements in patient function and care.

Brad Dicianno, MD

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center