AI by industry · Physical therapy practices
AI receptionist for physical therapy clinics
An AI receptionist for a physical therapy clinic picks up when your front desk is on another line or your therapists are mid-session, takes the details of a new patient or a referral, and books an evaluation. It routes urgent or clinical questions to a person. Westward builds it around your hours and visit types.
Talk through your clinic with the person who builds it
A free 30-minute call. You leave knowing which part of your physical therapy practice to hand to AI first, what we would build, and roughly how long it takes.
Different callers need different answers
A clinic phone gets new patients, current patients moving visits, physician offices sending referrals, and insurance questions. Each needs a different response.
The assistant should sort the caller first, then act, and pass the call along when it should not answer.
Where it should stop
It should not advise on pain, exercises or injuries. If someone describes a fall, a sudden loss of function or severe pain, it should point them to urgent care and alert your staff.
Referral calls deserve extra care. When a physician’s office calls, they want a clear answer: do you take this patient, and when can they be seen. The assistant should collect the details in a set order, then pass them to a person, which helps referral partners trust you with their patients.
Picture this
Examples of what it can look like. Illustrations, not clients.
A caller says their surgeon wants them in PT next week. The assistant collects the referral details and books an evaluation.
A patient on the schedule is running late. The assistant notes it and tells the therapist.
A staff member at an orthopedic office calls to confirm you accept new referrals. The message goes to your manager with a callback request.
The rules that apply, in their own words
“A covered entity or business associate may not use or disclose protected health information, except as permitted or required by this subpart”
“other than a call made for emergency purposes or made with the prior express consent of the called party”
Sources
- 47 U.S.C. § 227 (TCPA): Consent rules for automated calls, prerecorded voices and texts.
- 45 CFR § 164.502 (HIPAA Privacy Rule): When patient information may be used or shared, including by vendors.
- NIST AI Risk Management Framework: The U.S. standards body’s framework for using AI responsibly.
- 15 U.S.C. § 45 (FTC Act, Section 5): The federal ban on unfair or deceptive business practices, ads included.
Talk through your clinic with the person who builds it
A free 30-minute call. You leave knowing which part of your physical therapy practice to hand to AI first, what we would build, and roughly how long it takes.
Questions
Can it verify insurance?
It can collect plan details for your staff to check. We would not let it promise coverage.
What about privacy?
Calls can include health information, so the setup should be reviewed with privacy rules in mind before launch.
Can it call patients back?
It can place reminder and follow-up calls within rules you set. Sensitive conversations should be handled by a person.
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