Arrival time is also call time
Patients arrive at the top of the hour. So do calls from people with a new referral. The desk cannot check in a patient and take an intake call at once.
Physical therapyAI phone agent
Evaluation calls answered while the desk is checking patients in.
The AI phone agent picks up when the front desk is handling arrivals, at lunch, and after close. It books the initial evaluation, asks for the referral details you need, and leaves the recording on the patient record.
Where it goes wrong today.
Referrals go cold
A physician hands over a script and the patient means to call. If the first call goes to voicemail, the referral sits in a drawer.
Schedule changes clog the line
Patients on a plan of care call to move visits. Each call is short, but together they fill the desk’s morning.
How it works for physical therapy.
It knows your clinic
Locations, hours, the conditions you treat, which therapists see which cases, and whether you accept direct access in your state. The agent does not give clinical advice, say what a patient should do about pain, or promise insurance coverage. Those go to a person.
It books the evaluation
From the calendar you connect, into an evaluation slot with a therapist you allow. The agent asks for the referring provider and whether the patient has a script, then texts the confirmation and intake form.
The desk picks up where the call ended
Recording and summary sit on the record in the CRM. Insurance verification stays a human step; the agent leaves the plan name on the record so the desk can verify. Reminders and no-show texts follow from the same record.
Illustrative example
What a day looks like.
- 8:00 a.m.Three patients arrive at once. A caller with a new knee referral reaches the agent, which books an evaluation on Wednesday and texts the intake link.
- 12:30 p.m.A patient on a plan of care calls to move Thursday’s visit. The agent moves it to Friday and updates the record.
- 2:15 p.m.A caller asks whether they need a referral to start. The agent answers from your direct-access note and books an evaluation.
- 7:10 p.m.After close, a caller asks whether their plan is in network. The agent gives the list you approved, books the evaluation, and flags the record for verification.
An illustrative example of how the system runs, not a measured result.
More for physical therapy.
Questions physical therapy ask
Will it tell patients whether their insurance covers PT?
It can read the list of plans you accept. It does not promise coverage or visit limits. The desk verifies before the first visit, with the plan name already on the record.
Can it schedule follow-up visits on a plan of care?
Yes, within the rules you set: therapist, visit length, and how far out. It moves and cancels visits on the same calendar.
What does it do with a referral?
It records the referring provider and asks the patient to bring or send the script. It does not interpret the diagnosis. See what an AI receptionist is for how the handoff works.