How Hong Kong Foot Clinic streamlined complex care with Heidi

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Background

Hong Kong Foot Clinic is the largest private podiatry practice in Hong Kong, offering comprehensive foot and lower limb care tailored to a diverse clientele. Located in Central Hong Kong, the clinic serves a diverse, largely expatriate population with a comprehensive range of services, including general podiatry, sports injury management, gait analysis, physiotherapy, and custom orthotics. Their team of internationally trained, multilingual specialists is known for delivering high-quality, biomechanically focused care tailored to each patient.

In early 2024, Alison Rooney joined the practice, bringing over a decade of clinical experience and a reputation for detailed, patient-centered care. Her methodical approach, marked by thorough assessments, individualised treatment plans, and meticulous documentation - along with her team - has further strengthened the clinic’s reputation as a trusted destination for modern, high-standard podiatric care in Hong Kong.

Challenges

With a growing caseload in a new clinical environment, Alison found herself managing complex presentations that required highly tailored treatment plans. She currently sees around 7 to 8 patients per day, each consult packed with detail, verbal history, and nuanced assessments that demand close attention and strong documentation.

Information recall and cognitive overload

"I used to sit there going, what did I do? Did I pad it or strap it? What was our plan?"

Alison’s consultations involve extensive verbal history, complex biomechanical assessment, and tailored treatment plans. Without an accurate, detailed, and accessible record, she often found herself scrambling to recall what was done, adding mental load and reducing confidence in follow-up care.

Loss of clinical detail in documentation

"I've always been very careful to give a very comprehensive note… so that anyone can read it and know exactly what’s going on."

In Australia, many of Alison’s general care notes could be templated or repeated. But in Hong Kong’s sports-focused setting, every case is complex and demands a custom approach. The result: far more information to capture, and far less room for error or generalisation.

Paper notes and communication breakdowns

"I used to handwrite exercise instructions. People would lose the paper and forget what we discussed."

Alison would often jot instructions and treatment plans on paper during consults, but patients frequently lost them. With no shared record, follow-ups became disjointed. There was no reliable way to ensure patients understood or remembered the plan.

After years of managing with patchwork solutions, Alison came across Heidi—and things started to shift.

Solution

Alison first heard about Heidi through Australian podiatry forums, where clinicians were discussing how AI could help manage the cognitive load of documentation. She decided to give it a try after seeing a colleague jump straight into the free version.

"Sean just got on and started using it that morning. By that afternoon, I did too - and I thought, wow, that’s a game changer."

Within hours, Alison was using Heidi to capture the conversation as it happens, then generating clinical notes, referral letters, patient instructions, and emailing patients exercise plans, all with significantly less effort. She continues to use it daily on her desktop computer in the clinic.

Alison’s top 3 favourite features:

• Note generation – Structured, clinically detailed, and easily reviewed notes.
• Letter creation: Custom letters for GPs, insurers, and other practitioners, with only relevant details included.
• Ask Heidi: For editing, correcting spelling, and retrieving specific parts of the transcript for context.

Impact

"People used to lose paper notes. Now I email everything; exercises, guidance, referrals. They can access it from anywhere."

Alison no longer relies on memory or patchy notes. Every detail is captured, searchable, and clinically useful—allowing her to focus more fully on solving the problem in front of her, and building trust through clear, reliable follow-up.

Key outcomes:

• Reduced admin burden and reliance on memory, saving 10–15 minutes per patient and minimising post-consult recall.
• Improved note quality and clinical completeness, ensuring accurate, traceable records every time.
• Enhanced continuity of care, with clearer documentation and better follow-up across appointments.
• More time and capacity for complex care, enabling clinicians to grow their patient load confidently.

Sharper recall in complex cases

"I look back on notes and think, oh, that’s right, we covered that. You forget if it’s not there."

Heidi supports Alison in managing long-term care, particularly for patients with layered histories. With more reliable recall, she can be more precise and confident in her clinical reasoning.

Better notes, faster

"Heidi compiles succinct, ordered notes, including relevant info that I’d otherwise forget."

Alison no longer relies on memory or rushed typing to capture what happened during a consult. Her notes are more accurate, more detailed, and done faster.

Improved continuity of care

"I’ve always written notes like someone else might need to read them - and now I know they actually can."

Heidi makes it easy for anyone in the practice to step in and know exactly what’s been done, which is essential in a multi-practitioner team. Patient instructions are no longer dependent on memory or physical handouts. Alison communicates clearly, quickly, and on the platforms her patients already use.

Documentation that reflects clinical reality

"I don’t treat every patient the same. Each plan is unique, and Heidi helps me keep track of it all."

Rather than documenting for compliance, Alison now documents to care, capturing biomechanical nuance, inferred patient goals, and treatment decisions that would otherwise be lost.

Elevated patient communication

"Now I say, 'Let me get Heidi to compile this and email it to you.' It’s easier, and patients love it."

No more lost instruction sheets. Patients receive precise guidance straight to their inbox, making it easier for them to follow through.

What’s next

With Heidi, Alison is spending less time worrying about what she might forget, and more time engaging deeply with every case that walks through the door.

"I can give a more comprehensive recount of what happened during the consultation… without relying on my fading memory."

As her practice matures and her caseload grows, Heidi remains a quiet but powerful partner, easing the mental burden of recall and helping Alison uphold the level of care her patients deserve.