AI automation for occupational therapy practices
Occupational therapists spend a considerable part of their working week on administration: recording notes in the EHR, drawing up treatment plans, preparing claims in line with the Generic Declaration Standard. AI automation takes over that repetitive work, so you can focus on what matters: helping the client carry out daily activities independently.
Administrative pressure in occupational therapy: a structural problem
Occupational therapists in the Netherlands work an average of 27 to 28 hours per week. A substantial share of those hours goes on record-keeping, maintaining treatment plans and preparing claims. Since January 2025, the Generic Declaration Standard (GDS) has applied, which standardises the claims process but also introduces new requirements for registration in the Electronic Patient Record.
AI can support occupational therapists by speeding up these administrative tasks: from automatically summarising treatment notes to classifying activities according to the COPM method. The result is more direct client time and less evening and weekend work spent on record-keeping.
Core challenges in the sector
- Record-keeping structurally takes more time than the treatment itself
- GDS requirements (2025) call for accurate, standardised registration
- Multidisciplinary working involves a lot of coordination with GPs, physiotherapists and neighbourhood teams
- Waiting times at practices are rising due to staff shortages
- Insurer requirements (intake assessments, treatment limits) add administrative work
AI applications for the occupational therapy practice
Every occupational therapy practice works with similar processes: intake, observation, treatment plan, delivery, evaluation and claims. AI can support each of these steps.
Automated treatment notes
After a treatment session, the occupational therapist dictates observations or types keywords. AI generates a structured report following the SOAP method, including ICF classifications. The EHR is updated directly, so retyping by hand is no longer necessary.
Treatment plan assistant
Based on the intake and COPM scores, AI drafts a treatment plan with concrete goals, expected treatment duration and indicated interventions. The occupational therapist reviews and amends it, as the groundwork has already been done.
GDS-compliant claims
AI automatically links treatment sessions to the correct service code, checks that the maximum number of reimbursed sessions has not been exceeded, and generates the claim lines in the GDS format your EHR supplier requires.
Measurement instruments and analysis
Occupational therapists use measurement instruments such as the COPM, AMPS and PRPP. AI digitises the assessment, scores it automatically and tracks progress across treatment periods, presented visually for both the client and the referrer.
Intelligent waiting list prioritisation
For incoming referrals, AI estimates urgency based on diagnosis, care need and client profile. Practices with long waiting lists can thus give priority to the most urgent clients without manual screening.
Homework exercises and follow-up
AI generates personalised exercise programmes based on the treatment plan and sends reminders to the client. At the end of an exercise period, the system analyses the reported progress and flags points for attention.
Integration with your EHR and practice software
Most occupational therapy practices work with an EHR system for scheduling, records and claims. AI automation only adds value if it integrates seamlessly with that existing workflow. We build integrations that connect directly to the systems you already use.
Common EHR systems
The Dutch market for occupational therapy EHRs has a number of established players. Our AI modules connect via the available APIs or HL7/FHIR interfaces:
Technical connections
- HL7 FHIR R4 for standardised healthcare data exchange
- GDS integration for claims processing to Vektis
- COPM and AMPS scoring modules via REST API
- Vecozo integration for COV checks and authorisations
- MijnZorgApp integration for client portal functionality
Our approach for occupational therapy practices
We don't start with technology but with your work process. Which steps take up the most time? Where do errors occur? That determines where AI will have the greatest impact.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Why Appfront for AI in occupational therapy
Experience in the healthcare domain
We build software for the Dutch healthcare sector and understand the context: GDPR-sensitive patient data, insurer requirements, NZa regulations and the day-to-day reality of allied health practices. Not a generic AI demo but a solution that fits your work process.
Small-scale and accessible
Occupational therapy practices are often compact: two to ten therapists. We build solutions at that scale: not a six-month enterprise implementation, but a pragmatic project that suits the size and budget of an allied health practice.
Privacy-first architecture
Patient data does not leave your environment. We work with on-premise or private cloud deployments, encrypted data storage and role-based access. All processing complies with the GDPR and the NEN 7510 standard for information security in healthcare.
From prototype to production
We don't just deliver a concept but support you through to the production environment. Hosting, monitoring, updates and a direct line for support. Not a black-box AI but a system you understand and can steer.
Compliance and data security
In occupational therapy you work with special categories of personal data: medical records, care needs and treatment outcomes. Our AI solutions are designed with privacy and compliance as the foundation, not an afterthought.
- GDPR-compliant processing of all patient data
- NEN 7510 / NEN 7512 information security in healthcare
- Encrypted storage (AES-256) and transport (TLS 1.3)
- No data sent to external LLM providers without explicit consent
- Audit trail for every AI-generated note or claim
- Role-based access: therapist, practice owner, administration
- Data processing agreement in line with Dutch DPA (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens) guidelines
Data management and transparency
Every AI-generated treatment note or billing line is traceable: you can see which input the AI used and which decision it made, and you can always override it manually. The occupational therapist remains responsible — AI supports, it does not replace.
Patients are informed about AI use in line with the WGBO (Dutch Medical Treatment Agreement Act). If desired, we can build an opt-out option for clients who object to automated processing.
Related AI services
AI automation for occupational therapy is part of a broader range of healthcare AI solutions we build for the Dutch market.
AI chatbot for healthcare practices
A conversational AI that answers client questions, schedules appointments and prepares intake forms — available outside office hours.
More about AI chatbots →Enterprise AI implementation
For larger healthcare groups and rehabilitation centres: scalable AI architecture that serves multiple disciplines and locations with shared models.
More about enterprise AI →Custom healthcare software
Alongside AI, we build complete healthcare software: client portals, treatment planning tools and reporting systems that match your specific way of working.
More about healthcare software →Frequently Asked Questions
Would you like to know what AI could mean for your practice?
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