Start the first session on time — not on a clipboard.
New patients spend the first 15 minutes of their first PT visit filling out paperwork. Chatref collects their history and referral details in chat before they arrive, so the session starts when they walk in.
Featured on
Why it matters
The problem this solves.
The challenge
New patient intake at PT clinics typically happens with a paper clipboard in the waiting room. It delays the session start and
What it costs
A 15-minute intake delay on a 45-minute session is significant. Multiply it across new patients each week and the schedule slips
The Chatref way
Chatref guides new patients through intake in a conversational chat before their first visit — history, referral source, what to
The Chatref solution
How Chatref automates PT new patient intake.
After a new patient books an evaluation, Chatref sends them a pre-visit conversation. It collects their history, referral source, and what they want help with — and answers their first-visit questions along the way. Your team has everything before the patient walks in.
Real questions
What Chatref answers here.
What do I need to fill out before my first PT visit?
Do I need to bring my referral paperwork?
Can I complete my intake forms online?
What should I tell the therapist on my first visit?
Do you need my insurance information in advance?
What should I wear to my first physical therapy appointment?
Loved by support teams
PT clinics starting first sessions on time.
How physical therapy practices use Chatref to complete intake before the patient arrives.
New patients used to arrive and spend the first 15 minutes on paperwork. Now Chatref collects everything in chat the day before. We start on time every time.
Patients appreciate completing intake on their phone at their own pace. We get better, more complete answers than from a rushed waiting-room clipboard.
First-visit questions — what to wear, what to bring, what to expect — are handled by Chatref before the patient arrives. The first session is productive from minute one.
saved per new patient on first-visit clipboard time
We collect referral details, history, and goals in advance. Therapists walk in prepared. Patients feel heard before they even meet their therapist.
What does a new patient intake process look like at a physical therapy clinic?
Typically: personal information, medical history, the reason for the visit, referral details, insurance information, and consent. Chatref collects these conversationally before the patient arrives.
Can a chatbot collect intake forms for a physical therapy practice?
Yes. Chatref guides patients through intake questions in a conversational format and delivers the responses to your team — or connects to your intake form so patients complete it digitally.
Is this a replacement for our existing intake forms?
Not necessarily. Chatref can guide patients to your existing digital intake form, answer their questions along the way, and collect any additional information you need before the visit.
What if the patient has questions during intake?
Chatref answers them from your clinic content in the same conversation — what to wear, where to park, what the evaluation involves. The patient arrives informed and confident.
When does the intake conversation go out?
You configure the timing — typically after booking confirmation, 24–48 hours before the first visit.
How does our team receive the intake information?
Collected details appear in the shared inbox with the full conversation. You can also connect Chatref to your intake workflow via custom actions.
Arrive to every first session ready to start.
Set up Chatref pre-visit intake in minutes and let patients complete the process from their phone — free to start.
Part of Chatref for Physical Therapy Clinics · Healthcare hub · pricing.