When you've been practicing physiotherapy for two decades, you've seen trends come and go. But for Dr. Dipal Shah, founder of Care Plus Physiotherapy in Ahmedabad, one thing has remained constant — her belief in personalized care for every patient.
Recently, Dr. Dipal joined Dr. Shachi for a candid discussion about her journey, her focus on post-cancer rehabilitation, and her cautious but growing interest in physiotherapy software.
Dr. Dipal's career began with a Master's degree in Cardiopulmonary Conditions. Over the years, she has treated orthopedic, neurological, and cardiac cases at her well-equipped clinic in Thaltej.
But what sets her apart is her specialization in cancer rehabilitation — helping patients regain their quality of life after treatment by preventing complications like stiffness, pain, or reduced mobility.
“Every patient is different,” she says. “So we plan and give treatment accordingly.”
She also works as a visiting physiotherapist at Rajpath Club and hospitals associated with cancer care — juggling multiple workplaces with ease.
Despite running a modern clinic, Dr. Dipal admits she's only recently started using software — and even then, only at her own practice.
Her hesitation?
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Cost: “Earlier it was quite expensive.”
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Training needs:: “You need a separate staff and time to train them.”
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User experience: “They weren't very user-friendly.”
At other centers she works in, reception staff manage bookings using their own systems. But for her own patients, most appointments still happen over the phone — a reflection of her strong word-of-mouth referrals.
The conversation soon turned to AI. Could machines one day take over physiotherapy?
Dr. Dipal’s answer was clear:
“Physiotherapy is a very hands-on thing. Machines can help — they can save time and energy — but they can't replace the human touch.”
She already uses small AI-assisted devices that auto-program treatment settings based on the patient's condition. Still, she believes the physiotherapist's expertise remains irreplaceable, much like how writers feel about AI-generated content.
One area where Dr. Dipal sees a clear gap is patient engagement after treatment.
Patients often miss their follow-up appointments, and with so many cases to track, it's easy for her team to forget to send reminders.
“A software that manages follow-ups would look more professional and make patients feel cared for,” she says.
This, she believes, could directly improve treatment outcomes.
For Dr. Dipal, the appeal of software isn't just about booking appointments.
It's about tracking her clinic's performance — seeing how many patients were treated in a year, analyzing trends, and assessing growth.
“If I could access patient records online from anywhere, it would make management so much easier.”
However, she's firm that ease of use will make or break her adoption of any platform.
After 20 years without relying on tech, Dr. Dipal's advice is straightforward:
It's about tracking her clinic's performance — seeing how many patients were treated in a year, analyzing trends, and assessing growth.
“Patients today are tech-savvy. If physiotherapists start using software earlier in their practice, they'll save time and energy. Go one step at a time, but start.”
Below is the transcript of the conversation between Dr. Utsav Parikh and Dr. Shachi for readers who want to explore the discussion in its original format.
DS
Dr. Shachi
Hello everybody. Like I said, I wanted to expose a wide variety of physiotherapists from different walks of life to IT software and their use, their benefits, their disadvantages. So today we are coming up with a physiotherapist who not only has her own practice but she is specifically working towards physiotherapy post-cancer. Not only that, she goes as a visiting physiotherapist to several centers like Rajpath Club, to several centers which are associated with cancer therapy trust hospitals somewhere in Paldi. And she has got such a multi-practice that her not being associated with IT is something that needs to be looked into. So let us welcome everybody once again. So welcome Dr. Dipal of Care Plus Physiotherapy. Welcome Doctor, please tell us a little bit about your journey into physio.
DP
Dr. Dipal Shah
Yes, hello Dr. Sarji. You have already given my introduction but let me just give a brief idea about my practice. So I am practicing since 20 years now. I have done Masters in Cardiopulmonary Conditions and I have my own clinic which is named as Care Plus Physiotherapy Clinic located in Thaltej area where I treat all the orthopedic, neurological as well as cardiac conditions and it is well equipped and advanced technology based clinic but I do believe in personalized physiotherapy. So that is my actually you know USP, you can say that every patient is different, so accordingly we plan and give treatment. Along with that, I practice in cancer rehab which is quite an upcoming area for physiotherapy where after cancer treatment all the side effects which can be there after the treatment, so I basically try to prevent those complications which can affect their quality of life.
DS
Dr. Shachi
That is a very wide array of things you are doing and since I already know that you are working post-cancer and very much actively, my next question would be that since you are working in three or four premises, have you not, have you been exposed to several different IT software? Is each of the place using a different software or you are not getting associated with software at all?
DP
Dr. Dipal Shah
Basically, I have recently started using this software at my clinic. At other attachments where I am going, there is a receptionist who handles all these things, paper, it's a software, it's an online software based software. But personally, I am not very familiar with any other software use even at my clinic. I have recently just started using it but I am not very... What was keeping you from using an IT software?
What were your biggest fears? Ah, one is like earlier it was quite expensive also. And then you need a separate staff to do all these things and you need to train them. They were not very user-friendly, you know. That is to do like currently which software I am using, there also even if I want to make a new patient entry like just I got a call for an appointment, if my number is there as a clinic number is there, so someone calls for an appointment, they will just give their name maybe right and their number is there.
Other than that, we don't have any data right upfront over the call. So if I want to do entry of that particular patient, no, I don't think any software is there, you know, just for the new entry, just name and number and that patient is entered in the software.
DS
Dr. Shachi
Then you should have a panel meeting with the rest of the physiotherapists on this panel today because one of the physiotherapists developed his own software where, when the patient comes, he takes a photograph, he inputs the X-rays and he has details of all the treatment he gives to it. So yes, a software can do it and pattern. So I believe that there are software like PlusPhysio which can be customized. You can use them because they have been made after talking to a large variety of physiotherapists and their needs and their requirements.
So, it generally takes care of almost all your needs and they also offer training to you as well as your personnel on how to use the software. And if it is not covering a pattern that you require, they will actually customize it for you, so it is possible. Yeah that is good. Now AI has infiltrated our world everywhere.
You see from ChatGPT to you know the robots cleaning your rooms and people actually cutting out clothes on a very large bulk area, there is AI everywhere right? And I have also heard that there are AI assisted physiotherapy machines which can be fed, you know, that this is the patient's problem and these are the exact points at which he is having an issue and you need to make these movements in this range and that they do perfect movements and of course they are programmed with the help of a physiotherapist sitting there but there is no hands on of the physiotherapy, the hands on is by the machine which is assisted by AI. So have you actually ventured into the field, have you utilized those kind of machines and what is your take about them? Do you feel that you know it is a good option?
DP
Dr. Dipal Shah
Yeah, definitely it would be. I haven't come across till now where AI is taking care of a patient totally in our field because physiotherapy is a very hands-on thing, you know. Definitely machines are there, machines will do their part.
So AI-based technologies are definitely more advanced technology where we don't have to do much in the machines itself. We just have to enter the condition and all the other parameters are selected according to the condition. Earlier that part was also manual, we had to select the frequency or we had to select the intensity or the phase or the you know, feed the data about the patient.
Now we just have to mention the condition and it will program on its own. So there are small machines which you are using already. Yes, but I haven't come across where, you know, we are replaced like all the hands-on technical.
DS
Dr. Shachi
I think, I think all of us say the same thing as a content writer, I say the same thing, the ChatGPT cannot replace me. So I would say that almost all the fields are fearing that robots are going to take over but human is human, it just cannot be replaced.
So definitely it will be great help, it will be like a digital assistant which will help us in you know time, it will save the time, it will save the energy also because 50-60% of work might be possible with them but remaining 30-40% definitely to be done by a physiotherapist. If your clinic's booking system still offline? It's not 100% offline, I would say there are some, you know, platforms which pay where patients can directly book the appointment at my clinic. But other than that, I have this offline booking, online... Why, why have you not gone in for an online [booking system]? Is it because of the fear of data theft?
DP
Dr. Dipal Shah
No, because as I practice at different-different places, you know, mostly the mouth-to-mouth patients are more. So they just forward my number and then, you know, they book the appointment by calling only.
DS
Dr. Shachi
But then how do you remember that this client is at this particular place? An online system would definitely benefit you.
DP
Dr. Dipal Shah
Definitely it will benefit but it should be at the same time smooth and user-friendly.
DS
Dr. Shachi
And you have still not found a software which is smooth enough? If I have to give more time managing the software then it is not your... Do you find it difficult to engage your patient after the sessions are over? Maybe a follow-up one month, follow-up six months...
DP
Dr. Shachi
...follow-up six... one year or maybe the patient is coming back after two years. So are you finding it difficult to engage with that patient?
DS
Dr. Dipal Shah
Yes, definitely that is the biggest challenge for everyone, I think. Because even if I tell my patient that your follow-up is after the treatment is over, you have a follow-up visit next week and then they don't turn up. And even we also don't remember sometimes that this patient's follow-up was scheduled, you know, so we also forget to give a call or give a reminder.
DS
Dr. Shachi
So definitely there was a software doing this for you, wouldn't it help your practice?
DS
Dr. Dipal Shah
Definitely it will be more, it will look more professional. Patient will feel that, you know, we remember them, we care for them. Definitely we care for them, the results or the outcome of the treatment will be better because the regular follow-ups are done. So a software would help in the long run. What about your clinic's performance? Are you able to analyze your clinic's performance without data which is stored in a computer?
DP
Dr. Dipal Shah
: It is a challenge, it is very difficult to analyze the performance. Because if online entry is there which I can access from anywhere like remotely, even if I am sitting at another clinic or another place and I want to see how patients, what, what are patients took treatment today, what treatment was given, you know, what was the record, everything. If it is available online, it would be very easy for you to assess even the increase in your practice. Like in this year 2022 you have done approximately a thousand patients, in 2023 it's dropped down to 19 but it's probably reduced because you know there was some effect of a pandemic or something. A day-to-day basis you would be able to assess whether your clinic is increasing or not. Definitely even so software would help in that also, definitely.
DS
Dr. Shachi
So are you thinking of switching over to a software?
DS
Dr. Dipal Shah
Yes, I would love to.
DS
Dr. Shachi
What about customizing it to your needs?
UP
Dr. Dipal Shah
Definitely if I, if my needs are met and it is easy to use and install and even my, you know, colleagues and staff are ready to, you know...
DS
Dr. Shachi
So you are ready to become XI Physiotherapy?
DS
Dr. Dipal Shah
Definitely
DS
Dr. Shachi
So thank you very much for sharing your insights and to software development where physiotherapy is concerned. And there is one more small request, there are lot of physiotherapists coming out in the market right now and you have been in practice for 20 years without a software, what would you advise them regarding the use of software and what your fears were and what to learn from your fears? one step at a time. Yes, one step at a time.
UP
Dr. Dipal Shah
So I would like to tell my fellow physiotherapists that I have been practicing since 20 years. Earlier the people were also not friendly with the technology. Now a days, patients are very tech-savvy. So if physiotherapists also start practicing this, you know, incorporating this software earlier in their practice, they will save more time and energy in maintaining the records and everything which is, you know, can be done by a software. So I would like to suggest them go one step ahead and one step at a time and just, you know, include this software in your practice. Thank you.
DS
Dr. Shachi
Thank you very much Dr. Dipal for being with us today.
Final Thoughts
Dr. Dipal is ready to embrace physiotherapy software — provided it's smooth, user-friendly, and tailored to her needs.
Her journey highlights a challenge many experienced practitioners face: balancing deeply personal care with the efficiency and reach that technology can bring.
And as she steps into this new chapter, one thing is certain — her patients will continue to benefit from both her hands-on expertise and, soon, smarter digital support.
