Introducing Heidi AI to Improve Our Physiotherapy Consultations

One thing that you may not be aware of when it comes to your physiotherapy appointments or classes, is our need to keep accurate and thorough clinical notes. We are required by law to do so, and it also allows us to ensure that we can recall every detail of your physio journey. This means we can provide consistent, informed care across every visit. You may have had the experience of your physiotherapist remembering details about your health that you have forgotten! This may be in part because your physio remembers details about your health and injury journey because we take a genuine interest in your progress, but also because we have kept good clinical notes!

As clinicians, we try to protect the quality of your appointment and make sure that our focus is completely on you, rather than dividing our attention on recording. This is sometimes tricky to do and it also means that we spend a few hours per week completing our clinical notes and associated admin. While we are happy to do this and it is part of our job, the introduction of AI that maintains more accurate and more timely notes is a practical improvement to how we work.

With that in mind, we are introducing Heidi AI into our clinical consultations. Heidi is a documentation tool that handles note-taking during appointments, allowing your physiotherapist to stay focused on you throughout your visit.

It has taken us some time to reach this point, and that was a deliberate choice. Before introducing any AI tool into our practice, we needed to be satisfied that your privacy was properly protected. We reviewed Heidi's approach to data security carefully, and we are confident it meets the standards we expect.

How it works

During your appointment, Heidi listens to the consultation and transcribes it in real time. Once your session is complete, a clinical summary is saved into your electronic health record. No audio is ever stored. The transcription happens live and leaves no recording behind.

What this means for your privacy

Do I have to give consent?

Yes. Your clinician will ask before using Heidi, and you can withdraw consent at any time.

Are my appointments recorded?

No. Conversations are transcribed live as they happen. No audio recording is stored at any point.

Who can see my information?

Only your clinician. Strict access controls are in place, in compliance with Australian privacy laws.

Where is my data stored?

All data is hosted in Australia, in line with Australian data protection regulations and data sovereignty requirements. Heidi collects only what is necessary to provide the service, is transparent about how data is used, and restricts who can access it. Their systems are certified to SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR standards.

If you would prefer your physiotherapist not to use Heidi during your sessions, please just let your physiotherapist know before your appointment and we will make sure Heidi is not used.

If you have any questions about Heidi or how we use it at Prana, please feel free to get in touch with me directly.

With care,

Valerie Mullane

Director and Practice Principal, Prana Physiotherapy & Health