Technology continues to improve the field of medicine by simplifying practice and communication. But we’re not just talking about hospitals and clinics. You can actually carry some of this technology with you in your pocket! There are many apps that are made specifically for on-the-go physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists. These tools are not only helpful for travel therapists while they’re on an assignment, but they also allow clients to better manage their conditions at home. Continue reading for a list of the top travel therapy apps that will help you treat your patients more efficiently!
Top Travel Therapy Apps
For Travel Physical Therapists
While most smartphones already have their own timers, this app goes above and beyond the capabilities of your average timekeeper. PT Stretch is a free app that consists of a timer, counter, tracker, and communication platform. It ensures that no steps are missed during your client’s rehabilitation therapy process. It also allows users to share different exercises or routines with notes and images, making it easier for you to maintain an active role in your client’s recovery even when you’re not physically around them.
This anatomy app is available for the reasonable price of $4.99. Muscle & Bone Anatomy 3D is an excellent way to visually explain an injury to a patient through 3D diagrams and videos. You can also enlarge these images easily by using a touch-screen device. This app provides educational materials that both the consultant and the client can take with them where ever they go.
For Travel Occupational Therapists
There are many free applications available to help patients improve their fine motor, visual motor, and visual attention skills. 4 Pics 1 Word is an ideal app for younger clients. Four pictures, as well as several letters relating to one word, are given to the player. The purpose of the game is to use these pictures and letters to guess what word they are hinting to. Patients with learning disabilities involving reading and writing can use this app to improve their skills while having some fun.
This free app literally narrates the world around you. Your patients can use Seeing AI to describe short text, documents, products, people, currency, scenery, colors, handwriting, and even light. When describing products, Seeing AI actually scans an item’s barcode and provides a summary of what it is. The app even uses sound to assist users as they try to focus their camera on the barcode. Some of Seeing AI’s features are built-in to the app, but you’ll need an Internet connection to perform more complicated tasks like describing scenes or recognizing a person’s handwriting.
For Travel Speech-Language Pathologists
Story Creator is a free, fun, and user-friendly app that helps you create storybooks using photos, videos, text, and audio. This helpful tool for SLPs can be used during sessions as well as outside of the office when patients are on their own. Recommend it for a client’s home practice so that you can target specific language components like sounds, words, and phrases without even being present.
Articulation Station is an app developed by Little Bee Speech. It serves as a complete program for clients with speech sound delays. It helps patients practice over 20 sounds and collects data to help evaluate the user’s progress. SLPs can use Articulation Station in both individual and group therapy settings. Parents also find the app useful for their child’s speech practice at home. Articulation Station is free but it contains in-app purchases and it has an option to upgrade to Pro for $59.99.
*All of these travel therapy apps are also available for Andriod devices on Google Play.
Are there any travel therapy apps that you and your patients have had success with? Tell us about them in the comments below!
