> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getsmartalex.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Medical call flows

> How an AI voice agent runs a busy medical practice line: booking, rescheduling, answering routine questions, and routing clinical calls to a person.

A medical AI voice agent answers the practice line, books and reschedules appointments, and answers routine questions about hours, location, and fees. Anything clinical goes straight to a person: it gathers the details, routes the call to the nurse on duty, and never gives medical advice.

## The typical call

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart LR
    A["Greet: name the practice"] --> B{"Identify intent"}
    B -->|"Book or reschedule"| C["Check the diary, offer times"]
    B -->|"Practice question"| D["Answer from knowledge base"]
    B -->|"Clinical or billing"| E["Transfer to a person"]
    C --> F["Confirm by SMS"]
    D --> F
    F --> G["Close the call"]
    E --> G
```

## What the agent handles

Most inbound calls to a practice fall into a handful of intents:

* Booking a new appointment with a named doctor or the next open slot.
* Rescheduling or cancelling an existing appointment.
* Prescription refill requests and other general questions.
* Practice information: opening hours, location, parking, and fees.
* Clinical questions it must not answer, handed to the nurse on duty.
* Billing and account queries, handed to the accounts line.
* After-hours calls, captured or routed to the on-call number.

<Note>
  The agent never offers medical advice. For medication queries, symptom severity, or anything urgent, it hands the caller to the nurse on duty rather than answering.
</Note>

## Tools it uses

The agent only needs a few built-in tools to run the line end to end:

* **Check availability** and **Create booking**: look up open slots in a doctor's diary and book the appointment mid-call.
* **Send SMS**: text the caller a confirmation with the time and the doctor.
* **Knowledge lookup**: answer practice questions such as hours, location, and fees from the knowledge base.
* **Transfer call** and **Transfer to extension**: route clinical questions to the nurse on duty and billing questions to accounts.

See [Agent Tools](/essentials/agent-tools) for the full catalog and how to switch each one on.

## Example call

> **Caller:** Hi, I need to book an appointment.
>
> **Agent:** Of course. Is this with a particular doctor, or something you would like to see someone about?
>
> **Caller:** My son has a persistent cough. I would like to see Dr Patel if possible.
>
> **Agent:** Let me check Dr Patel's diary. One moment. She has 11:30 this Thursday or 2:15 on Friday. Any preference?
>
> **Caller:** Thursday works.
>
> **Agent:** What is your son's name, and the best mobile for the confirmation?
>
> **Caller:** James Miller, 082 555 4433.
>
> **Agent:** Thursday 11:30 with Dr Patel for James Miller, confirmation by SMS to that number. Sending it through now. Anything else?
>
> **Caller:** No, that is great, thanks.
>
> **Agent:** You are welcome. Take care.

<Card title="Conversation flow library" href="/telephony/conversation-flows" icon="arrow-left">
  Back to all six industry call-flow patterns.
</Card>