Neil Aitken, Kinetic Physio Case Study

Neil Aitken, owner of Kinetic Physio in Edinburgh, Scotland, was regularly in the clinic for 1-2 hours doing admin after his last patient had left.

The never-ending to-do list of admin adds to the stress of running a busy clinic.

Since discovering Heidi’s AI medical scribe, Neil:

• Saves 1-2 hours per day on notes
• Feels less mentally fatigued at the end of a long day in the clinic
• Gets home earlier to spend time with his kids
• Has more time and energy to put into his clinical work and business

Neil describes Heidi as “a game changer.” He states it has improved his work-life balance, while also improving his connection, engagement and rapport with patients.

Less stress. Faster notes. Better patient care: How Kinetic Physio transformed their practice with Heidi Health

For Neil Aitken, the owner of Kinetic Physio in Edinburgh, Scotland, physiotherapy has always been about putting the patient first. 

With over two decades of experience—12 years in private practice and several years within the NHS—Neil’s passion and stellar reputation has seen his clinic grow into a thriving two-location practice.

Specialising in musculoskeletal and sports injuries, oncology and women’s health, Kinetic Physio is renowned as a hub of high-quality care. However, its sustained growth came with some challenges.

“I always put the patient first and we are always trying to fit people in,” explains Neil. “So trying to catch up on the admin has always been a problem.”

Operating without an administrative team, Neil’s evenings regularly stretched well beyond the clinic's closing hours. "If patients were finishing at 6 pm, I'd be finishing notes and then writing referral letters and insurance reports... often not getting home until 8:30 pm," he states. 

This relentless workload often left Neil feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of paperwork. At times, the associated mental fatigue would impact his focus during the day. Plus, when he did finally manage to get home, he often felt exhausted.

This relentless workload often left Neil feeling the strain of managing a high volume of paperwork. By the time he made it home, he would often feel tired after a long day

Neil’s practice, and life, started to change when he discovered Heidi Health’s AI medical scribe. 

Offering real-time transcription of patient interactions, Heidi sits in on a clinical encounter and processes the conversation between practitioner and patient. Once the appointment is finished, the provider can instruct Heidi to instantly generate editable clinical documents utilising the data from the appointment.

Heidi includes customizable templates for things like:

• Progress notes
• Referral letters
• Insurance claims
• Intake assessments
• Treatment reports
• Patient instructions

Once the note or document is generated, all that’s left is for the clinician to review it and add it to the EHR.

As Neil gained more experience with Heidi, he recognized the tools' outstanding capacity to help him keep up with clinical notes, without sacrificing his focus on patient care.

How Neil saves 1-2 hours per day on notes

Discussing the changes in his work and personal life after implementing Heidi, Neil states, “When the last patient closes the door, my notes for the day are done. It’s saving me a good chunk of time at the end of every day.”

For Neil, this time saving equates to around 1-2 hours per day. But, the benefits of Heidi extend beyond just spending less time on notes. Neil also reported that because he no longer has to worry about note-taking during sessions, he feels mentally sharper during appointments.

Here are the main features of Heidi’s AI medical scribe transforming administrative workflow at Kinetic Physio:

• Ambient listening technology - Unlike traditional dictation or voice-to-text software, Heidi uses ambient listening AI to process and understand a clinical encounter. Therefore, much like a human medical scribe, Heidi can produce a range of clinical documents utilising the data from the appointment. The only difference is that Heidi does this in mere seconds.
• Automated note-taking - “I’m doing notes in the session with each patient,” states Neil, referencing that having a smartphone, tablet, or computer with Heidi running is all that’s needed to generate notes automatically. This is what enables Neil to now complete documentation immediately after each appointment, rather than waiting until the end of each day. “That’s quite a nice feeling of not having to remember back to my 10 am patient,” he adds.
• Customisable templates - Personalised note and document templates enable Neil to create thorough, detailed documentation that aligns with his high standards. “I use our own specific template with a few things I want to look out for particularly,” he explains. “And it’s been working really well.” Heidi’s customisable templates are the key to using AI to generate notes that sound just like you. They ensure all relevant information is captured in a beautiful note that meets your exact specifications. 
• Easy letters and reports - While Neil primarily uses Heidi to streamline clinical notes, one click is all that’s needed to also produce a letter or report. In addition to generating referral letters and insurance reports, Neil explains that he’s successfully used Heidi for tasks as unique as creating a medical exemption letter for a patient’s use of a golf buggy—illustrating the platform’s flexibility in handling various types of documentation.
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Interestingly, the amount of time Neil saves on documentation isn’t unusual among Heidi users.

For example, a Psychiatrist in New Zealand also reduced his work day by 2 hours. Another Physiotherapist in private practice completely abolished her after-hours work. And, a primary care practice in the US reduced documentation time by a staggering 70%. 

The human impact of AI

The human impact of Heidi on the staff and patients at Kinetic Physio has been profound. 

Where Neil once juggled late-night admin tasks, he now finishes his clinical notes during patient sessions, giving him peace of mind and more time to spend at home. Neil has also noticed several changes that improve patient experience and enhance quality of care.

Below is a summary of the personal benefits Heidi’s AI medical scribe has brought to the staff and patients of Kinetic Physio.

Better work-life balance

Due to consistent demand for new appointments, Neil opened a second clinic location in 2022. He then expanded his team and service offerings in 2023. This certainly offered greater professional fulfilment and stimulation, but it didn’t exactly do wonders for Neil’s work-life balance.

Many clinic owners in this position end up being forced to scale back their own clinical work to manage competing priorities. However, as a life-long clinician, this wasn’t appealing to Neil. Instead, he used Heidi to streamline the tasks that didn’t drive his passion (like writing notes).

This shift has led to a better work-life balance, something Neil values deeply. No longer stuck at the clinic until late, he now gets home earlier and spends more time with his family. “It’s nice to get home a bit earlier to see my kids,” he explains. “That’s made a big difference.”

Improved focus and vitality

Any experienced clinician knows it’s not just the practical aspect of writing notes that’s draining—there’s an inescapable mental and emotional toll from doing hours of paperwork each day.

The reduced admin workload from implementing Heidi has not only freed up Neil’s evenings, it has also allowed him to approach his work with renewed focus. “I'm mentally less tired, " he states. “I'm more focused on treatment and feel fresher at the end of the day.”

With the knowledge that every clinical detail is being captured by Heidi in real time during an appointment, Neil feels sharper during assessments and treatments. This has significantly improved his job satisfaction. It also gives Neil more mental energy to focus on delivering the best possible care to his patients.

Enhanced patient experience

Neil expressed surprise about some of the feedback he’s received regarding patient experience while using Heidi.

“Patients have said they like hearing that clinical reasoning process almost in real time,” he states (referencing his practice of verbalising important aspects of the interview so Heidi can process them). “Certain patients are definitely really enjoying that.” In turn, this has also improved engagement and communication during assessments.

With the burden of typing notes during consultations lifted, Neil can now focus entirely on the person in front of him, building better rapport and connection. “It’s less like they’re talking to you and you’re busy typing things into the computer,” he says. “You can create that eye contact and establish that rapport.”

A game-changing practice transformation

Heidi Health hasn’t just solved an administrative problem for Kinetic Physio—it’s transformed how the team delivers care. 

“For me, there are only a few things in physio that have been a bit of a game changer,” Neil reflects. “And using Heidi has definitely been one of them.”

By easing the pressures of clinical documentation, Heidi’s AI medical scribe allows Neil to spend more time on what truly matters: his patients and his family. It also reduces the stress he previously carried throughout a typical day, providing a new level of focus and mental energy to channel into his clinical work and business.

Cutting 2 hours off his daily documentation time has been a big win for Neil. But, he’s also pleasantly surprised with the improvements in patient experience and quality of care.

Without the preoccupation of taking notes throughout each session, Neil is free to focus 100% on his patients. This, coupled with the fact that Neil now verbalises his clinical reasoning in real-time for Heidi to process, results in improved engagement and deeper communication with patients.

Heidi Health has not only helped Neil manage his clinic more efficiently—it’s also allowed him to reclaim his evenings and reinvest more time and energy into both his professional and personal life—a true win for everyone.

Kinetic Physio has two clinic locations in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Heidi Health’s AI medical scribe is free to try for all clinicians.