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.
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.”
Staying behind for 1-2 hours each day
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.
Impact on Neil’s wellbeing and mental load
The 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.
Solution
Neil’s practice, and life, started to change when he discovered Heidi.
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.
Top 3 favourite features:
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 on the spot without the need for late admin hours
Customisable templates: Personalised note and document templates enable Neil to create thorough, detailed documentation that aligns with his high standards.
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.
Impact
“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.”
Key outcomes:
Saving 1-2 hours per day on notes
Reduced mentally fatigued at the end of a long day in the clinic
Getting home earlier to spend time with his kids
More time and energy to put into his clinical work and business
Scaling without sacrificing
Due to consistent demand for new appointments, Neil opened a second clinic location in 2022 and expanded his team and services in 2023. Although this brought professional growth, it also significantly increased his workload, putting pressure on his work-life balance.
Rather than scaling back his clinical hours - a path often taken by clinic owners - Neil chose to implement Heidi to streamline tasks like note-taking. This decision has notably improved his personal life.
“It’s nice to get home a bit earlier to see my kids. That’s made a big difference.”
No longer confined to late-night admin, Neil now finishes documentation during patient sessions, allowing him more time at home with family.
Improved focus and vitality
Clinicians understand that extensive paperwork isn't just practically demanding, it's mentally exhausting. Since adopting Heidi, Neil experiences reduced mental fatigue, significantly enhancing his job satisfaction and clinical focus.
“I'm mentally less tired. I'm more focused on treatment and feel fresher at the end of the day.”
Neil Aitken
Enhanced patient experience
Neil has observed notable improvements in patient engagement since introducing Heidi. Freed from typing notes during consultations, Neil can now fully concentrate on his patients, fostering stronger rapport and eye contact.
“It’s less like they’re talking to you and you’re busy typing things into the computer,” he explains. “You can create that eye contact and establish that rapport.”
Additionally, patients appreciate hearing Neil articulate his clinical reasoning aloud for Heidi’s real-time processing.
“Patients have said they like hearing that clinical reasoning process almost in real time… Certain patients are definitely really enjoying that.”
Efficient and versatile documentation
Heidi's ability to generate immediate and varied documentation after each appointment has significantly streamlined Neil's administrative processes.
"It's quite a nice feeling of not having to remember back to my 10 am patient.”
Neil Aitken
He adds, “I use our own specific template with a few things I want to look out for particularly. And it’s been working really well.”
Beyond standard notes, Neil successfully utilises Heidi for diverse tasks such as creating referral letters, insurance reports, and even specialised documents like a medical exemption letter for a patient’s golf buggy, demonstrating the platform’s flexibility.
What’s next
“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.”
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.
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