Treatment note templates for physiotherapists, in Cliniko

Notes get written at the end of the day, from memory, in different shapes each time. If you see 25 patients a week and a free-typed note takes 8 minutes, that's 200 minutes a week, about 14 hours a month (200 x 4.3 / 60).

Cliniko's treatment notes are customisable and stored in the cloud, and it can flag notes that are still incomplete. You build a template for the first assessment, follow-ups and discharge, so the headings and prompts are there each time. You still write the clinical content yourself. Cliniko's connected apps include AI note tools, but this use case doesn't need one.

A solo physiotherapist in Norwich sees about 25 patients a week. She builds three templates in Cliniko and checks the incomplete-notes flag at the end of each day.

About 5.4 hours a month saved (3 minutes on each of 25 notes a week: 75 minutes x 4.3 / 60), worth around £242 if your time is worth £45 an hour. Cliniko is $45 (about £34) a month for one practitioner.

1. 1Start the 30-day free trial and set your data region; UK accounts have their data stored in the UK, per Cliniko's security page.
2. 2Build a template each for first assessment, follow-up and discharge, using the headings you already use.
3. 3Run one week of real notes through the templates and trim fields you never fill in.
4. 4Each evening, check the incomplete-notes flag and close the gaps while you still remember the session.
5. 5Sign the data processing addendum Cliniko provides and record it in your data protection paperwork.

• A template can lead to near-identical notes copied from visit to visit. HCPC standards expect records that reflect that person's care, so write each one properly.
• Cliniko's pricing is in US dollars and stepped by practitioner: $45 for one, $95 (about £71) for 2 to 5. Add a practitioner and the price jumps.
• SMS is extra, prepaid at 10 cents (about 8p) a message.
• Moving records in from another system takes time. Don't plan the switch for your busiest week.