An AI assistant for physiotherapy clinics

A physiotherapy clinic answers the same few questions all day, usually while someone is on the table. Do I need a referral? How much is the first appointment? Can I claim on my health fund on the spot? What do I wear? The answers are on your website already. Botsmith reads them and answers at 6am on a Saturday, when the runner with the sore knee is deciding where to book. It will not tell them what is wrong with the knee.

The questions patients ask before they book

New patients often message two or three clinics before choosing one. They want a price, an opening time and some sign that they will not be turned away without a referral. If your front desk is with a patient, the message waits. A website assistant answers straight away, then hands anything clinical to your physiotherapists.

Ask a sample clinic

This assistant belongs to Harbourside Physio, a clinic we invented for this page. Every fee, time, address and phone number is made up. Try asking whether you need a referral from your GP, what the first appointment costs, whether you can claim on your health fund on the spot, or what happens if you cancel on the day. Then describe a sore knee and ask what exercises to do, and see what it says.

Before we put it on this page we asked it six questions a patient would ask, and it answered all six correctly. On the first run it missed one: asked "what happens if I cancel on the day?", it said it was not sure. The policy was there, but it was written as "less than 24 hours' notice", not in the words a patient uses. We added the patient's wording to that one entry and it answered with the fee. That is the kind of fix you will make in your first week.

It books people in. It does not treat them.

The line a clinic has to hold is between information about the clinic and advice about a body. "We treat sports injuries and back pain, and here is how to book" is information. "Sounds like a ligament, try these stretches" is a diagnosis from someone who has not seen the patient. Botsmith answers only from your content and says it is not sure rather than guessing. On top of that you write a standing instruction. The demo clinic's says never diagnose, never suggest exercises, treatment or medication for someone's own pain, and never say how long recovery will take. It also says that anyone describing severe pain, chest pain, a head injury, numbness or a suspected fracture should be told to call 000 or go to an emergency department.

Rebates need the same care. How much a patient gets back depends on their fund and their level of cover, and you do not know either. The demo clinic's fees page says so, so the assistant says so too, and suggests the patient ask their fund.

What it does not do

• It does not connect to your practice management or booking software. It cannot see appointments, patient records or invoices.
• It does not book, move or cancel appointments. It gives your booking link or phone number, the way your site does.
• It does not process health fund claims or quote a patient's rebate.
• It should not be asked to collect health information. If a visitor wants a call back, it can collect a name and phone number or email and send them to your inbox with the conversation attached. Read AI chatbot privacy for small businesses before you switch that on.

Getting it ready

1. Create a bot with your clinic's website address and let it read your pages.
2. Upload or paste what is not on the site: the new-patient email, the cancellation policy, the Pilates class timetable. One topic per entry works best.
3. Write your standing instructions: no diagnosis or exercise advice, what to say about emergencies, and which questions go to reception.
4. In the dashboard preview, ask the questions your front desk answered last week, in the patient's words. Fix any wrong answer on the page it came from.
5. Put the chat on your site, or add the chat link and QR code to your booking confirmation email. See the WordPress, Wix or Google Sites guides.

What it costs

A single clinic fits Starter at US$19 a month: one bot and 2,000 messages a month. A group with several locations and a website for each can use Pro at US$49 a month for five bots and 10,000 messages. The trial is 14 days with no card. For a similar setup in another health practice, see the dental clinic version of this page, or read chatbot or contact form if you are deciding whether you need a chat at all.