Equity Matters! Understanding Bias and Promoting Awareness in Physical Therapy Practice

Treatment biases and structural inequities within physical therapy practice can significantly influence access to care, clinical decision-making, and patient outcomes across varied populations and practice settings. Implicit and explicit biases related to disability, race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, language, culture, and socioeconomic status, along with systemic barriers such as uneven access to rehabilitation services, communication gaps, and inconsistent application of evidence-based frameworks, contribute to persistent disparities in health outcomes.

Part 1 of this webinar will examine current evidence on healthcare inequities, provider and patient perspectives, and the ways bias shapes clinical reasoning and therapeutic relationships. Participants will engage in critical self-reflection and review evidence and application of shared decision-making and chronic care models to support equitable, respectful, and responsive physical therapy practice in clinical environments.

Speaker:

Hina Garg, PT, MS, PhD, NCS

Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMU)

Hina Garg PT, MS, PhD, CEEAA is a board-certified neurologic clinical specialist, Associate Professor and Director of the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Physical Therapy & Wellness Center at the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMU). She also holds a clinical appointment in the RMU clinics where she evaluates and treats individuals with neurological and pelvic health conditions via in-person and virtual visits. She has been awarded the 2022 National MS Society ‘Above & Beyond MS Provider’, 2022 APTA Utah ‘PT of the year’, 2019 ANPT Outstanding Clinical Innovator and the 2019 Utah Valley '40 Under 40' for her clinical, educational and research efforts in physical therapy and wellness services for individuals with MS in the state of Utah. She has published and presented educational sessions at APTA conferences (CSM, ANPT, ELC), MS conferences (CMSC, Gait and balance symposiums) and has conducted educational sessions and workshops at other state, national and international conferences. She also works with local community funding agencies to support her clinical and research interests.

Disclosures: none