Writing
Notes from building phone software for medical practices.
The arithmetic behind front desk costs, what HIPAA actually requires of a vendor, and what integrating with an EHR looks like from the inside. Written by the founder, not by a content team.
Latest
How to reduce missed calls at a medical practice
Five fixes, four of which cost nothing and involve buying no software at all. Do those first.
Agni Patel, 9 min read
Which EHR systems work with AI phone agents?
A reference for the whole landscape, including the systems we do not support, plus the three integration depths that every vendor describes with the same word.
Agni Patel, 9 min read
What is a good containment rate for an AI phone agent?
The metric that decides whether a deployment worked, why launch always understates it, and the definition games vendors play with the word.
Agni Patel, 7 min read
How to deploy an AI phone agent at a medical practice
Five steps, a realistic six week timeline, and the four things that actually go wrong. None of them are technical.
Agni Patel, 10 min read
Is AI phone software HIPAA compliant?
It depends entirely on the vendor, there is no certificate anyone can show you, and here is how to tell the difference in one conversation.
Agni Patel, 8 min read
Can AI replace a medical receptionist?
Partially, and only the phone half. Here is the job broken into its actual tasks, with an honest mark against each one.
Agni Patel, 8 min read
How much does an AI receptionist cost for a medical practice?
The four pricing models vendors use, what sits outside the headline number, and the call volume below which none of it pays for itself.
Agni Patel, 8 min read
How does an AI phone agent work in a medical clinic?
The four things that happen between a patient dialing and an appointment appearing in the schedule, with the timings and the failure points.
Agni Patel, 9 min read
What is an AI receptionist for medical practices?
A straight answer to the definitional question, including the two things it is constantly confused with and the four jobs it still cannot do.
Agni Patel, 8 min read
How many calls does a medical practice actually miss?
The published figures run from 23 percent to 42 percent. Both get quoted as fact. Here is why they disagree and how to get your own number in an afternoon.
Agni Patel, 6 min read
AI receptionist or answering service: what actually changes
Both of them pick up at 9pm. Only one of them means your front desk has nothing waiting when they walk in at 8.
Agni Patel, 7 min read
Building on the athenahealth API: what an AI phone agent can actually do
What "integrates with athenahealth" really means when a vendor says it, from the side that had to build it.
Agni Patel, 10 min read
HIPAA compliance for AI voice agents: a buying checklist
There is no HIPAA badge and no HIPAA license. Any vendor can claim compliance. Here are the seven questions that separate the ones telling the truth.
Agni Patel, 8 min read
What a front desk hire actually costs a primary care practice
The salary line is about $35,000. The real number is closer to $52,000, and the gap is where most practice budgets quietly go wrong.
Agni Patel, 9 min read
How much is your practice losing to missed calls?
Four numbers you already have, and the arithmetic that turns them into a figure your P&L never shows you.
Agni Patel, 7 min read
Rather run the numbers than read about them?
Bring twenty minutes and your call reports and we will do the arithmetic on your practice instead of a hypothetical one.
Book a 20 minute demo