Pile 1: automate
- Booking: patients book online. See online booking.
- Reminders and confirmations: sent automatically. See SMS reminders.
- Intake forms: filled in by the patient before the first visit. See intake forms.
- Recalls: sent on their own at the time you set.
Pile 2: do it in the session
- Notes, during or straight after the treatment. See faster notes.
- Next booking, before the patient leaves.
- Invoice and payment, at the end of the visit.
- Claims, lodged on the terminal and recorded at the same time. See invoicing and claims.
Pile 3: batch it
- Letters to referrers.
- Following up unpaid invoices. See getting paid on time.
- Ordering stock.
- Bookkeeping and your accountant's questions.
Put these in one weekly admin block in your diary.
Keep one system
Bookings in one tool, notes in another and invoices in a spreadsheet triple your admin. One system where the booking, the note and the invoice live together removes the copying.
Watch the total
Once a month, ask: how many hours of unpaid admin did I do? If it is creeping up, find the next thing to automate. See systems over willpower.
Frequently asked questions
How much admin does a solo physio do?
Without systems, a lot. With online booking, automatic reminders and admin done in the session, most of it shrinks to a weekly block.
What admin can be automated in a physio practice?
Booking, reminders, confirmations, intake forms and recalls.
Should I hire a virtual assistant?
It can help with phones and admin once systems are in place. Automate first, then hire for what is left.