Your Questions, Answered
Plain answers to the questions practice owners ask before going live. Setup, voice quality, and data privacy — all covered.
Setup & Going Live
How long does setup take?
One onboarding call — usually under 30 minutes. Share your schedule, hours, and any common patient questions. We configure the agent and you're live the same day.
Do I need to train the AI on my clinic?
No lengthy training required. Elma arrives pre-built with dental workflow knowledge — appointment types, insurance intake phrasing, and recall reminders. You provide your specifics; we handle the rest.
What happens if my schedule changes?
Update us via a quick message or email. Schedule changes are reflected within the hour. No waiting for a support ticket or a new onboarding session.
Voice Quality & Patient Interaction
Will patients know they're talking to an AI?
Not unless you want them to. Elma's voice is calm, clear, and paced for clinic calls. Most patients interact naturally without noticing a difference from a human receptionist.
What if a patient has a complex question?
Elma handles routine calls — bookings, reminders, basic intake. When a question falls outside its scope, it flags the call for your staff with a full transcript so no context is lost.
Can Elma handle after-hours calls?
Yes. Elma answers every call — during lunch, after close, and on weekends. Patients who call at 10 p.m. can book the next available slot without leaving a voicemail.
Data Handling & HIPAA
Is Elma Voice HIPAA compliant?
Data handling is built to meet healthcare privacy standards. We sign a Business Associate Agreement with every clinic and store call data on encrypted, access-controlled infrastructure.
Who can see my call recordings and transcripts?
Only your authorized staff — and us for support purposes under your BAA. No third-party sharing, no advertising use. Your patient data stays in your account.
What happens to my data if I cancel?
You can export all transcripts before cancellation. After your account closes, we purge your data within 30 days per our data retention policy.
Still have a question?
Book a 20-minute demo and ask us anything — live. We'll walk through how Elma handles your specific call volume and workflows.