Healthcare admin is non-clinical but critical
Coordination directly affects revenue and patient outcomes, even though it involves no clinical decisions.
Case study · Allied health
How a three-clinic physio group cut no-shows by 35%
Peak Performance Physio is an allied health group with three Sydney clinics whose front desks were overwhelmed. Two patient coordination specialists working in Cliniko cut no-shows by 35%, lifted referral follow-up to 90% and gave clinicians 45 more minutes of patient time each day at every site.
Published with client permission · June 2026 · Reviewed October 2026
35%
No-show reduction
90%
Referral follow-up
45 min
Daily clinician time saved
3
Clinics supported
The challenge
The starting point
Peak Performance Physio had grown to three clinics, but patient coordination had not grown with it. Reception staff were stretched thin, and enquiries that arrived after hours went unanswered until the next business day.
Practice manager Lisa Nguyen wanted dedicated coordination support. Not clinical staff, but people trained in healthcare administration and patient communication who could work across all three sites.
The front desk was the bottleneck, and it was costing appointments and clinician time.
What we did
Our approach, step by step
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Week 1
Cliniko audit and workflow mapping
In week one we reviewed how appointments, reminders, waitlists and referrals were handled at each clinic and shortlisted coordination specialists with healthcare admin experience.
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Week 2
Centralised coordination across three sites
In week two, two coordinators were onboarded across all three clinic schedules in Cliniko, working extended Sydney hours.
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Month 2
Reminders, waitlists and referrals
The coordinators managed SMS appointment reminders, waitlist backfilling, referral follow-ups and new patient enquiries, so every enquiry and referral had an owner.
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Month 3
Review at three months
No-show rates trended down from month two, and the 35% reduction was confirmed across all sites at month three.
Results
The results
No-show rates fell from 18% to under 12% within 60 days, a 35% reduction confirmed across the group by month three. Referral follow-up compliance reached 90%.
Clinicians reported 45 more minutes of patient-facing time each day per site, because they were no longer answering phones and chasing admin between appointments.
Our patients get faster responses and our physios get more time with patients. It's transformed how we operate across all three sites.
Lessons
What this story teaches
Centralise coordination for multi-site groups
One coordination team across three clinics gave consistent processes and better use of everyone's time.
Reminders protect revenue
Consistent reminders and fast waitlist backfilling turned missed appointments into treated patients.
Practice software experience matters
Coordinators who already knew Cliniko were productive almost immediately.
Guide
Applying this in your own business
Signs your practice needs coordination support
Clinicians answering phones, referrals without a clear owner, enquiries waiting overnight and no-show rates above 10% are common signs.
What to set up first
Start with reminders and waitlist management, which have the most direct effect on revenue, then add referral follow-up and enquiry response.
Where AI reception helps
An AI receptionist can answer after-hours calls and book routine appointments within your rules, passing anything clinical to staff the next morning.
Services in this case study
The services behind these results
01What did the patient coordinators do?
Cliniko scheduling across three clinics, SMS reminders, waitlist management, referral follow-ups and new patient enquiry responses.
02Did the coordinators provide clinical care?
No. They handled administration and patient communication only; all clinical decisions stayed with physiotherapists.
03How quickly did no-shows fall?
No-shows fell from 18% to under 12% within 60 days, with the 35% reduction confirmed at three months.
04How was patient information protected?
Coordinators worked inside the practice's Cliniko account with appropriate permissions and followed the practice's privacy procedures.
05Can a single-site practice use this model?
Yes. A single clinic often starts with one part-time coordinator for reminders and enquiries.
06Do you support other allied health practices?
Yes. The same approach suits dental, psychology, podiatry and other allied health practices.
Want results like Peak Performance Physio?
Book a strategy call. We will look at where your team is losing time and outline a practical plan with measurable goals.
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