AI for physio and allied health clinics in Australia

Who this page is for: For physiotherapy, chiropractic, osteopathy, podiatry, exercise physiology, occupational therapy and dietetics clinics that run on Cliniko, Nookal, Halaxy, Coreplus or Zanda and lose new patients while every practitioner is in a treatment room.

What can AI do for a physio or allied health clinic?

Five front-of-house jobs: booking new patient enquiries, handling reminder replies and filling short-notice gaps, recalling patients who drop out of a treatment plan, tracking GP referrals and chronic condition plans, and asking finished patients for a Google review the way the advertising rules allow. Each agent works inside your practice software. Assessment, the plan and the hands-on work stay with your practitioners.

How much does AI cost for a physio or allied health clinic in Australia?

The AI Front Desk is $1,500 to set up and $199 a month, covering enquiries, booking, reminder replies, no-shows and waitlist backfill. Plan recalls, the referral tracker and review requests are $497 one-off Quick Starts. Prices are fixed, in AUD, ex GST and month to month, the Claude API cost sits inside the monthly fee, and you own the code, prompts and settings.

Agent	Package and price (ex GST)	Live in
New patient enquiries and booking	AI Front Desk: $1,500 setup + $199 a month	7–10 working days
Reminder replies, no-shows, waitlist	Included in the AI Front Desk	With the front desk
Treatment-plan completion recall	Quick Start: $497 one-off	5–10 working days
Referral and plan tracker	Quick Start: $497 one-off	5–10 working days
Google review requests	Quick Start: $497 one-off	5–10 working days

With two agents live, Managed AI Essential ($1,500 a month) has us monitor and tune them; Growth ($2,000 a month) runs up to four and adds one new agent or improvement a month. See the pricing page.

How we build it for an allied health clinic

1. Free 30-minute audit. Where new patients come from (website, Google Business Profile, GP referrals, sports clubs), which practice system you run, and who owns the escalation list.
2. Rules from your clinicians. Which appointment types a new patient may book unaided, who sees what, and what must go to a person. A clinician signs it off, not us.
3. Least access. Nookal API keys and Coreplus add-ons carry a set level of access; on every system we ask only for what the agent needs.
4. Shadow week. Your practice manager corrects every draft reply until the drafts sound like your front desk.

Our own VA agency, DotVA, handles website enquiries this way: each is spam-checked, scored and passed to a person.

What Australian rules apply to AI in allied health?

Four sets of rules shape every build: the National Law’s advertising section for the AHPRA-registered professions, the Privacy Act for every health service provider, the Spam Act for recall and review messages, and Medicare’s referral rules when patients claim under a GP plan. Physiotherapy, chiropractic, osteopathy, podiatry and occupational therapy each have a National Board; dietetics and exercise physiology do not.

• National Law s133. AHPRA’s advertising guidelines ban testimonials about clinical aspects, warn against “pain-free” claims, list recall notices as advertising, and rule out encouraging regular visits without clinical need. The list of National Boards shows which professions it binds.
• Privacy Act 1988. The $3 million small business exemption does not help a clinic: the OAIC says health service providers are covered regardless of turnover. The agent collects only what a booking needs.
• Spam Act 2003. The ACMA warns that a mostly factual message can still be commercial, so we treat recalls and review requests as marketing: consent, the clinic named, opt-outs honoured within five working days.
• Medicare. Under the July 2025 changes on MBS Online, plans made before 1 July 2025 still support follow-on services until 30 June 2027. The tracker reports dates; people decide.

What should AI not do in an allied health clinic?

• Assess or triage. It never rates how serious something sounds; your escalation list decides what goes to a person.
• Prescribe or advise. No exercises, diets, taping advice or return-to-sport timelines; clinical questions are passed to a practitioner.
• Decide funding. Medicare eligibility, fund rebates and NDIS or workers’ compensation approvals belong to your staff, the GP or the funder.
• Make claims. No testimonials, success stories or promised recovery times.
• Handle complaints. Those go to the practice manager with the conversation attached.

Where should a physio or allied health clinic start?

If new patient messages sit unanswered while everyone is treating, start with the AI Front Desk. If the diary fills but patients drift off mid-plan, the $497 plan recall is the cheaper first step. Dental, psychology and NDIS work have their own pages: AI for dental practices, AI for psychology practices and NDIS providers, and the allied health guide goes deeper on recalls. A free 30-minute AI audit for your clinic with Jenn will name the first agent worth building, priced in AUD.