An AI front desk for chiropractors and physical therapy clinics
How a clinic that treats pain uses an AI front desk for new patient evaluations, care-plan rescheduling and insurance questions, with every clinical judgement left to a clinician.
Frontiva · · 3 min read
A chiropractic or physical therapy clinic's AI front desk books new patient evaluations at the right length, handles the constant rescheduling that a twice-weekly care plan produces, answers insurance and self-pay questions from your list, and asks the intake questions by text so visits start on time. It does not diagnose, rate pain, suggest exercises, or reassure. Red-flag symptoms go to a person before any reply is generated.
New patients in pain want this week
Someone who hurt their back moving furniture is not browsing. They want a slot this week and will book with whichever clinic answers first. The AI answers in seconds, works out they are new, explains that the first visit is a longer evaluation, and offers real slots with the right practitioner. Intake questions (what happened, when, whether an injury claim is involved, insurance) are asked one or two at a time, and the answers are on the record before the patient arrives.
Care plans mean rescheduling
Twelve visits over six weeks means twelve chances for something to come up. Each "can I move Thursday" is handled in two messages against the practitioner's live calendar, and the plan stays on the schedule. Reminders the day before with one-reply rescheduling keep the plan on track; a missed visit gets a same-day follow-up to rebook.
Insurance and referrals
"Do you take Aetna?" is answered from your list, with the note that some plans require a referral or pre-authorisation, and the AI asks for the referral if the plan needs one. It does not say what a plan covers or what the patient will pay; it captures the plan and member ID for your team to verify and quotes self-pay prices where those apply.
Personal injury intake
Accident cases need a different set of questions: date of injury, whether a claim is open, whether an attorney is involved, contact details for both. The AI asks them and routes the summary to the person who handles PI cases, without offering any view on the claim.
The red-flag list
Numbness or weakness in a limb, loss of bladder or bowel control, severe headache after trauma, chest pain, symptoms after a fall in an older patient. These are matched before the AI generates anything, and the patient is told a person is being alerted, with your approved wording. The list is yours to extend.
What it does not do
Diagnose. Rate or interpret pain. Suggest stretches, ice or heat. Comment on whether an adjustment or a course of therapy is appropriate. Estimate how many visits someone will need. All of it goes to a clinician, promptly.
Frequently asked questions
Can it handle both chiropractic and PT in one clinic?
Yes. Services and durations are set per service and per practitioner, and the AI books the right kind of visit with the right person.
Does it know our care plan schedules?
It books the services and durations you set up against each practitioner's availability. The plan itself (how many visits, how often) is set by the clinician; the AI keeps the bookings on the calendar.
What if a patient describes something serious?
The escalation check runs before any reply; the patient is told someone is being alerted, and the on-call route you set up is followed.
What Frontiva does here
The chiropractic and physical therapy page shows the workflows. In Frontiva each service carries its own duration and buffers, patients book on your public booking page, your team moves visits on a drag-and-drop calendar, and SMS reminders go out 24 hours and 2 hours before to patients who agreed. For the clinical boundary, see what an AI receptionist should refuse to answer.