Updated 2026-10-03 · 2 min read
More and more patients write on WhatsApp with voice notes and photos: the swollen knee, the shoulder that won't lift, the posture in front of the computer. They do it because it's the quickest way, and they expect an equally quick reply.
At a clinic, those messages carry two risks: going unanswered, because nobody can listen to a voice note in the middle of a session, or being answered badly, giving an opinion by message on something that can only be assessed in person.
What is never said by message
Nothing is assessed by message: not «it looks like a muscle knot», not «it doesn't look serious», not «put some ice on it». Reassuring is also assessing, and an assessment without seeing the patient can be a mistake with consequences.
The right reply is always the same: the physiotherapist will look at it at the appointment, and here's the first available appointment. And if what's described sounds like something a doctor should see first, no session is booked: the patient is told to see their doctor.
Voice notes
A voice note usually carries more information than a written message: which day suits them, which physiotherapist, what happened last time. Answering it properly means listening to all of it, and at a busy clinic that's hard.
The practical thing is to have it transcribed and answered on the spot, leaving the transcript where the team can see it.
How ClaudIA does it
ClaudIA transcribes each voice note and replies to what it asks for: booking, moving or giving information. The transcript stays in the dashboard.
With photos it applies strict rules. If the photo shows a part of the body, it doesn't assess what it sees or recommend anything: it explains that the physiotherapist will look at it and offers a first assessment. If it's something else, it doesn't comment on it. And if the message contains a red flag, it doesn't book and alerts the team.
Questions clinics ask
Does ClaudIA listen to voice notes? Yes. It transcribes them and replies to what the patient asks for. The transcript stays in the dashboard.
Does it give an opinion on photos a patient sends? No. If the photo shows a part of the body, it explains that the physiotherapist will look at it at the appointment and offers a first assessment. It doesn't assess, diagnose or recommend anything.
And if the patient describes something urgent? If a red flag appears, ClaudIA doesn't book: it tells them to see their doctor or go to the emergency department and alerts the clinic's team.