Curiosity Changes Everything in Emergency Department Care

Trauma-informed care for physical therapists can dramatically improve patient outcomes — especially in emergency department PT and acute care settings. In this episode, PTs and clinic leaders learn how recognizing trauma changes how we evaluate, communicate, and treat patients.

Emergency department patients often arrive in fight-or-flight mode. If clinicians only focus on impairments instead of the human experience behind the injury, care becomes less effective. Dr. Rebekah Griffith and Dr. Andy Wicks explain why PTs must assume trauma is present, how to create psychological safety, and how curiosity improves patient outcomes.

For busy PTs and clinic owners, this matters because better patient communication leads to better outcomes, fewer return visits, stronger patient trust, and more meaningful care.

00:00 Emergency Department PT Intro
03:00 Trauma Beyond Physical Injury
08:00 Why Curiosity Improves Care
14:00 The Patient Behind Diagnosis
20:30 Moving Beyond Impairments
26:00 Creating Patient Safety
32:00 Trauma-Informed Exam Strategy
36:45 Building Patient Support Systems
41:00 Cultural And Historical Trauma
46:00 One Rule: Be Kind