Podiatry virtual assistant for Australian clinics
Your patients need precise clinical care. Your practice needs precise admin. We provide Cliniko trained healthcare professionals who understand podiatry workflows, terminology, and the funding landscape Australian podiatrists work within every day.
01
Appointment management for podiatrists
Biomechanical assessments, diabetic foot checks, orthotics fittings and routine nail care all need different time on the calendar. Your diary should reflect that without you managing it.
In practice
A solo podiatrist in Perth runs a mixed caseload across five days. Monday mornings are blocked for 45 minute biomechanical assessments, Tuesdays have back to back 20 minute diabetic foot reviews, and Fridays are reserved for orthotics fittings and adjustments. A patient cancels a Thursday biomechanical slot at short notice. Their Clinic Admin team member checks the waitlist, identifies a patient who has been waiting for exactly that appointment type, and rebooks the slot within the hour. The podiatrist walks in to a full day without having touched the calendar.
What your team member covers
- Appointment scheduling and calendar management in Cliniko
- Managing different appointment types and durations, from initial assessments to orthotics fittings
- Waitlist management with appointment type matching
- Rebooking no shows and late cancellations
- Coordinating multi appointment treatment plans across weeks
- Buffer time management between complex assessments
- New patient intake scheduling with the correct appointment length
02
Patient communication and recalls
Diabetic patients who need six monthly foot checks are your highest clinical responsibility. They are also the patients most likely to fall off your recall list.
In practice
A podiatry practice in Melbourne has 340 diabetic patients on their books. Around 30% of them are overdue for their six monthly foot assessment. The practice knows this is a problem but the front desk team is flat out handling walk ins and phone calls. Their Clinic Admin team member runs a structured recall campaign, contacting overdue patients in priority order based on risk category and last visit date. Within three weeks, 60% of overdue patients have rebooked. The remaining patients receive a second round of contact. No one slips through because the process is systematic, not ad hoc.
What your team member covers
- Diabetic recall campaigns based on clinical review schedules
- Appointment reminders via SMS and email through Cliniko
- Post treatment follow up messages after complex procedures
- New patient welcome communications with practice information
- Lapsed patient reactivation outreach
- Recall list maintenance and overdue patient tracking
- Custom communication sequences for orthotics patients awaiting device fitting
03
Billing, Medicare and NDIS
EPC referrals, NDIS plan management and DVA claims each have their own rules. Getting it wrong costs you time and money.
In practice
A podiatrist in Brisbane does significant NDIS work alongside private and Medicare patients. Before each NDIS appointment, someone needs to verify the participant has podiatry funding remaining in their plan, confirm the correct price guide rate, and check whether the plan is self managed, plan managed or NDIA managed. The podiatrist was doing this between patients, often running late as a result. Their Clinic Admin team member now covers all pre appointment funding checks. By the time the patient arrives, the podiatrist knows exactly what is covered, what rate applies, and who to invoice. Claims are submitted within 48 hours of the appointment.
What your team member covers
- Medicare EPC referral tracking and remaining session counts
- NDIS plan verification and funding checks before appointments
- NDIS claim preparation and submission
- DVA claim processing and documentation
- Private health fund eligibility verification
- Invoice generation and payment follow ups in Cliniko
- Aged receivables management for outstanding patient accounts
- Correct item number application for different service types
04
Referrer relationship management
GPs refer to podiatrists they trust, and trust is built through communication, not just clinical outcomes. If you are not sending reports back, someone else will be.
In practice
A podiatrist in Adelaide receives around 15 GP referrals per month, mostly for diabetic foot assessments and EPC patients. The clinical work is excellent but the podiatrist has never found time to send treatment reports back to referring GPs. Over six months, referrals from two previously active GPs have dropped to zero. Their Clinic Admin team member implements a referrer communication workflow. After every referred patient appointment, a brief treatment summary is drafted from the clinical notes and sent to the referring GP within five business days. Quarterly referral reports track which GPs are referring, which have gone quiet, and which new GPs in the area could be contacted. Within four months, referral volume increases by 25%.
What your team member covers
- GP referral tracking and source reporting in Cliniko
- Treatment report letters drafted from clinical notes for referring GPs
- New referrer identification and outreach in your area
- Referral source analysis and quarterly reporting
- Thank you communications to active referrers
- Renewed outreach to lapsed referral sources
- Allied health cross referral coordination with orthotists, physiotherapists and diabetes educators
05
Practice operations and documentation
Clean records, organised files, and operational consistency. The work nobody sees until it is not done.
In practice
A podiatry clinic in Sydney is opening a second location. The principal podiatrist needs patient records standardised across both sites, onboarding paperwork updated for the new location, clinical templates consistent between practitioners, and stocktake processes in place for orthotics materials and supplies. Doing this while treating patients full time at the existing clinic is not realistic. Their Clinic Admin team member takes care of the operational setup. Patient records are audited and cleaned. Onboarding forms are updated. Clinical document templates are standardised. A stocktake process for orthotics materials, padding, strapping supplies and sterilisation consumables is established. The second location opens with the same operational standards as the first.
What your team member covers
- Patient record maintenance and data cleanup in Cliniko
- New patient onboarding paperwork and form management
- Clinical document upload, filing and organisation
- Treatment plan tracking across multi visit protocols
- Stocktake support for orthotics supplies, padding and clinical consumables
- Standard operating procedure documentation
- Practitioner schedule coordination across multiple locations
- Practice management reporting and KPI tracking
Common questions from podiatry practices
Do your team understand podiatry specific terminology?
Yes. Our healthcare professionals are trained in podiatry terminology and workflows before they start working with your practice. They understand the difference between a biomechanical assessment and a general treatment, know what a diabetic foot review involves, and can work with orthotics related documentation. They are not clinicians, but they understand the language and processes well enough to manage your admin accurately.
Can you handle DVA and NDIS claims for podiatry practices?
Our team takes care of the administrative side of DVA and NDIS claims. For NDIS, that includes pre appointment plan verification, checking funding categories and remaining budgets, preparing claim documentation, and submitting claims to plan managers or the NDIA portal. For DVA, we manage the claim submission process, track approvals, and make sure documentation meets DVA requirements. The clinical content of claims remains your responsibility, but the administrative processing is handled for you.
How do you manage different podiatry appointment types?
We configure and manage your Cliniko appointment types to reflect your actual clinical workflow. That means separate appointment categories for initial biomechanical assessments, follow up treatments, diabetic foot reviews, orthotics fittings, nail surgery consultations and routine care. Each type has the correct duration, practitioner assignment, and any pre appointment requirements noted. When patients book or are rebooked, they are matched to the correct appointment type every time.
What practice management software do you work with for podiatry?
We train specifically on Cliniko, which is the platform most Australian podiatry practices use. Your team member works directly inside your Cliniko account, handling scheduling, patient records, billing, recalls and reporting. We also support practices using Halaxy, Nookal and Power Diary. If your practice uses a different system, we can discuss whether it is something we can support during your first conversation.
How quickly can your team start working with my podiatry practice?
After your first conversation, onboarding typically takes one to two weeks. During this time, we learn your specific workflows, Cliniko setup, appointment types, recall protocols and billing processes. We do not use a one size fits all approach. Your team member is configured around how your practice actually operates, not a generic template. Most practices are fully operational within two to three weeks.
Not sure outsourcing is right for your clinic?
That is exactly what the chat is for. Fifteen minutes, no pitch. We will give you an honest read on whether it fits, and how it would work if it did.