# AI for physiotherapy practices: review intake, visit authorisations and cancellations Before a first appointment, reception may need an administrative form. For another visit, the question is whether the recorded authorisation is still current. A cancellation can leave a gap that someone on the waiting list might want. Areinum Assistant can help you check intake and authorisation records and prepare options for an open appointment from the information you provide. These are administrative examples. A therapist remains responsible for treatment and clinical judgment. Canonical: https://areinum.com/ai-for-physiotherapy-practices/ Language: en Updated: 2026-11-04 ## Illustrative example (fictional) The owner's request: Which administrative details are still missing before the first visit? Information provided: - For fictional appointment P-24, the practice requires a contact preference, an emergency contact field and a signed administrative form. - The status list says the contact preference and signed form were received; the emergency contact field is blank. Example result: Only the emergency contact field is marked missing. The draft request asks for that field and does not repeat the completed items. The next step: Reception checks the approved channel, requests the missing field through its normal process and records receipt when confirmed. ## Start with the administrative fields you actually need Make a list of the administrative fields your practice requires and compare it with what has been received for the appointment. A useful result names the missing field and the approved request, rather than asking the patient to start the whole form again. Where possible, use an internal reference instead of the patient's name and supply only the information needed for the check. Questions about symptoms or treatment should go to the appropriate clinician. ## Keep authorisation and billing status separate Where a payer authorises a defined number of visits, a dated record of the limit and used visits helps the team see what requires checking. The rules and available information vary by payer and location, so a calculation is only as reliable as the source provided. For a claim packet, list the required attachment types and their administrative statuses. A missing attachment or payer response stays open for the billing team; the assistant does not need to read a clinical record to list whether an item was received. ## Make the next decision easier for reception When a slot opens, compare the visit type, therapist and available times with the preferences and contact permissions your practice has recorded. The result is a shortlist and any missing confirmation, not a booked appointment. For a payment, compare the reference, date and amount with an approved invoice and the practice's matching rules. Partial or duplicate payments should be separated for a person to resolve. ## Work you can get help with Illustrative scenario using sample information. ### Find missing first-visit information Compare the administrative fields required for an appointment with their recorded status and prepare a request for the missing fields. What you provide: Visit reference, required administrative fields, recorded statuses and approved contact wording. The useful result: A short list of missing fields and a draft request for reception. When the task is complete: Reception confirms the required administrative fields were received or records that a field does not apply; unanswered items stay open. What still needs checking: Do not interpret symptoms or treatment information; check contact permission before the practice sends anything. ### Review authorised visit counts Show the recorded expiry date, approved visit limit, used count and date of the last verification for a case before billing review. What you provide: Case reference, staff-verified visit limit and expiry date, used visit count, source and verification date. The useful result: A dated administrative summary and any conflicting or missing value. When the task is complete: An authorised staff member records the checked limit, used visits and expiry date, or records the payer's confirmed decision. What still needs checking: A discrepancy or payer refusal goes to staff; the assistant does not change treatment or block a visit. ### Check the status of a claim packet Compare the required attachment types and recorded payer responses with what is marked received, sent or returned. What you provide: Pseudonymous claim reference, payer and deadline supplied by staff, required attachment types and administrative statuses. The useful result: A claim checklist showing missing statuses and responses for the billing team. When the task is complete: Billing confirms the required attachment statuses and records the payer's response. A missing response or clinical question stays with the team. What still needs checking: Do not read or summarise clinical attachments or interpret a clinical reason for refusal. ### Prepare options for a cancelled slot Compare a released appointment with the visit type, therapist, recorded availability and contact permissions on the waiting list. What you provide: Open time, service and therapist, patient availability, contact permissions and the practice's booking rules. The useful result: A shortlist of possible matches and a draft request for reception to review. When the task is complete: The opening is filled when the patient accepts and reception confirms the booking. An unfilled opening stays open until staff decide to stop offering it. What still needs checking: A person verifies availability and contact permission; no appointment is booked or message sent by this preparation. ### Compare a payment with an invoice Use the practice's approved matching rule to compare received payments against approved invoice balances and identify exceptions. What you provide: Pseudonymous invoice reference, approved balance, transaction reference, date, amount and payment source. The useful result: Proposed matches and a separate list of partial, duplicate or ambiguous payments. When the task is complete: The item is resolved when an authorised staff member confirms the allocation or resolves the discrepancy. What still needs checking: A staff member handles a mismatch; no charge, refund or write-off follows from the comparison. ## Questions you may have ### Can it decide how many visits a patient needs? No. It can organise the authorisation and visit-count information supplied by your team. A therapist makes clinical decisions and staff verify payer rules. ### Can it fill a cancellation automatically? The example prepares possible matches for reception. A patient must accept and the practice must confirm the booking through its own process. ### Do we need to share clinical notes for an administrative check? The examples use administrative fields or document statuses. Give only the records needed for the task and route clinical questions to an authorised clinician. ### Can I use my practice's records in the demo? The demo uses sample company data. Ask about access and your intended workflow before planning to use your own records. ## Sources and further reading - [Learn how Jane can help run your physical therapy practice](https://jane.app/physicaltherapy): Jane describes intake forms, waiting lists, billing and payments for physiotherapy practices. - [The Impact of Administrative Burden on Physical Therapist Services](https://www.apta.org/advocacy/issues/administrative-burden/report): APTA reports survey findings concerning administrative work and prior authorisation in physical therapy. - [Outpatient Clerical Work](https://www.reddit.com/r/physicaltherapy/comments/1jhdbwp/outpatient_clerical_work/): A discussion asks how administrative work is divided between therapists and practice staff. ## Related reading - [Missing details before a first physiotherapy visit](https://areinum.com/examples/physiotherapy-first-visit-missing-details/) - [One conversation for the work behind your business](https://areinum.com/product/assistant/) - [Prepare and work with business documents](https://areinum.com/product/documents/) - [Review the next step before it affects someone else](https://areinum.com/product/decisions-and-control/) - [Find what is missing before a client project starts](https://areinum.com/guides/missing-client-project-information/) Explore the demo: https://platform.areinum.com/ Explore the sample company in the demo. 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