Will AI replace Respiratory Therapists?

The core of your work stays human. For you, AI is mainly an amplifier.

Task exposure to today's AI

28/100

Low exposure

This is the occupation's typical task mix. Your own score can be up to 30 points higher or lower depending on how you work: routine share, people contact, judgment and how much you already use AI.

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Will AI replace Respiratory Therapists?

Not entirely. Today's AI tools can take on about 28% of the typical work in this occupation, mostly: maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information. The parts that stay human include: Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.; Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.; Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary..

People who learn to use AI for the automatable parts keep the edge. The 3-phase plan below shows where to start.

Which tasks AI can take on

The largest tasks in this occupation, their share of the working week, and how much of each today's AI tools can do.

TaskAutomatable

Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information. 65%

Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals to manage patient care by assisting with medical procedures or related duties. 33%

Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition. 28%

Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur. 25%

Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment. 12%

Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary. 12%

+ 16 more tasks (38% of the week) in the full test.

Your human edge

Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.
Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.

AI tools to try

Clinical documentation and transcription assistantsChatGPT / Claude for patient information (no patient data)Clinical decision support in your systems

Related roles

A 3-phase AI learning plan

Phase 1

Less documentation time

AI transcription and note drafting where your organisation allows it.
Patient information leaflets in plain language.
Never put identifiable patient data into public tools.

Project

Use AI to draft plain-language leaflets for your 5 most-taught therapies (inhaler, BiPAP, nebuliser, oxygen, incentive spirometry) plus de-identified note templates; time the before/after charting.

Phase 2

Evidence and decision support

Guideline and literature summaries with AI, checked in the source.
Understand how decision-support tools reach their output.
Know the limits and liability.

Project

Build an AI-assisted one-page summary of current ventilator weaning and oxygen-titration guidelines, verify every claim in the source document, and log how many AI statements were wrong.

Phase 3

AI in care processes

Coordination, scheduling and handover with AI help.
Take part in your organisation's AI projects.
Teach colleagues safe use.

Project

Pilot an AI-supported shift handover and equipment-check schedule for your unit, train 3 colleagues on safe prompting and de-identification, and measure handover minutes saved over 2 weeks.

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