Artificial Intelligence in Allied Health Newsletter - September 2025
Sep 09, 2025It’s a jam-packed newsletter this month, so I’ll keep my introduction short! It’s been a month packed to the brim with exciting events including the Australian Hand Therapy Association conference, a guest lecture with the University of Canberra, a few workshops for Occupational Therapy Australia and of course the highlight of my month- the August Group Chat. In the meantime, another lot of changes in the ever-evolving race between AI companies to release new reasoning and image models (more on that below) and more research that supports how most of us are feeling. I’ve just scheduled some live re-runs of my most popular webinars- an introduction to AI and report writing sessions will be running in October and December (details at the bottom of this newsletter). Coming up this month is the Self Insurers of South Australia conference, if you’re planning on being there, please let me know!
Industry News
OpenAI Launches ChatGPT-5
If you’re a ChatGPT user, you would have noticed GPT-5 rolled out mid-August. OpenAI stated the model showed improved performance, improved ‘reasoning, and was tailored to be less sycophantic. There was an initial backlash from users as other models (e.g. 4o) were disabled, meaning many instantly lost access to previous chats and some citing they’d lost their “friend.” OpenAI quickly adjusted for this feedback, making old models available alongside GPT-5.
Google Gemini Launches Nano Banana
Google launched a new image generation model, which excelled particularly with image blending (i.e. combining multiple images into one) and maintaining character consistency. The model is available on Gemini on both the free and paid accounts.
Check out Google’s information release here
Allied Health Adoption Pathway
I shared a framework on LinkedIn this month that guides allied health through their adoption pathway. It’s a simple framework that maps the stages of mastery from overwhelm to confident, ethical use. Check it out below, and the link to the full post is below the image.
Here are the 5 stages:
1. Awareness – curiosity, early questions
2. Trust & Transparency – concerns about ethics, safety
3. Practical Integration – trying simple automations, one-task tools
4. Confidence – leading through change, skill development
5. Equity & Impact – access, outcomes, advocacy
Read the post on LinkedIn here
Generative AI Use Cases
The Medical Futurist- Bertalan Mesko, shared an interesting piece of work from the Harvard Business Review, into the top 100 use cases of generative AI for 2025 compared to 2024. Interestingly, lifestyle is at the top of the list, including therapy, organising life, finding purpose learning and healthy living. It’s a fascinating read and shows both the power and the danger of these tools- our clients are already using them.
Read the post on LinkedIn here
Read the original Harvard Business Review article here
Research
This qualitative systematic review explored frontline nurses’ perceptions of AI adoption in hospital settings. The review identified five overarching themes: ethical issues (data privacy, fairness, risk of reduced critical thinking), increased workload (training and time needed to integrate tools), seamless & efficient patient care (reduced errors, early detection risks, more time for direct care), reinforcement rather than replacement (AI as a support, not a substitute) and AI as a future nursing care solution (a partner in delivering safe, efficient care). Overall the nurses were cautiously positive, acknowledging the potential but stressing the importance of ethics, equity and training.
These findings mirror challenges, opportunities and opinions of allied health professionals. This piece of research reinforces the need for codesign in AI solutions, strong training framework and transparent governance to use AI as an adjunct to, not a replacement, for professional judgement and therapeutic relationships.
WORK Journal Special Edition on AI
I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been invited to be the guest editor for a special issue of WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, focussing on Artificial Intelligence.
We’re looking for pieces including but not limited to: applications of AI in rehabilitation practice and workplace settings; the impact of AI on job design, workload, and ergonomics; models for ethical and equitable AI adoption; education and training of health and rehabilitation workforces; and strategies for implementation, governance and evaluation of AI in diverse contexts.
Key Dates:
- Open for submissions- NOW!
- Submissions deadline February 1, 2026
- Publication of special issue December 2026
Read the submission guidelines here
Prompt of the Month
Each month, I’ll be sharing a useful AI prompt designed to enhance your practice. This month is a simple prompt to integrate the Allied Health AI Adoption Pathway into your learning and daily work.
Prompt:
I’m an allied health professional. Using the Allied Health AI Adoption Pathway (Awareness, Trust & Transparency, Practical Integration, Confidence, Equity & Impact), help me reflect on which stage I am currently at in my AI journey. What are 2–3 signs that show I’m here, and what is one safe, simple step I could take to progress to the next stage?
Tried this prompt? Send me an email and let me know how you found it!
Upcoming Events
Free: The Group Chat – group supervision/ community of practice
When: Thursday, 25th September 2025. 11am-12pm AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time- Sydney/ Melbourne time).
Where: Online via Zoom
Cost: Free
Live Webinar: Introduction to AI for Allied Health
When: Tuesday, 28th October 2025. 12pm-1pm AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time- Sydney/ Melbourne time).
Live introductory webinar, covering the basics of AI in allied health, without jargon or hype, and with a live Q&A. Get instant access to the 2024 recording when you sign up also with lifetime access to both.
Live Webinar: Practical Deep Dive: Report Writing & File Notes
When: Monday, 1st December 2025. 12pm-1pm AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time- Sydney/ Melbourne time).
A deep, practical webinar covering tools and techniques for using AI to streamline and improve the quality of your file notes and reports. Live session on 1st December, with instant access to 2024 session and lifetime access to both.
Self Paced Course: AI in Practice: A Hands-On Guide for Allied Health
AI in Practice is a self-paced, beginner-friendly course designed specifically for allied health professionals who want to use AI confidently in admin, clinical, creative and professional tasks (plus a smidge of advanced AI and icky ethical conundrums to consider).
Self Paced Course (approx. 6-10 hours of content)
Cost: $479
Get the AI in Allied Health Newsletter
A free monthly round up of what's happening in AI, tips, research and more, straight to your inbox!
Unsubscribe at any time.