Pre-consultation questionnaires create more time for patients at Root Cause Clinical

At a glance

Outcome

Solution

Challenge

Time for two extra consultations per day.

Increased patient satisfaction.

150% increase in trichologists since opening. 

Pre-consultation questionnaires saving crucial admin time during appointments.

Communication tools allow for better connection during consultations.

A centralised system to standardise and safely store all client data.

Semble Data allowing for business expansion. 

 

Too much consultation time spent manually gathering client information.

Lack of structure when procuring and organising client paperwork. 

Clinician work repeated, taking up extra time and causing inconsistencies. 

Root Cause Clinical is a unique healthcare provider focused on hair and scalp health through a highly personalised, client-centred approach. Offering both in-person and remote consultations, Root Cause Clinical supports clients worldwide through an end-to-end journey, from diagnosis to ongoing care.

As an early adopter of digital healthcare solutions, co-founders Victoria Russell and Wil Fleeson – the company’s CEO and CSO, respectively – were drawn to Semble for its ability to streamline operations and provide a seamless, consistent experience. They have been using Semble for two years.

The challenge: Patient paperwork taking up valuable time during consultations

Root Cause Clinical pride themselves on not just providing solely a clinical service – they understand the emotional connection that comes with one’s hair and scalp, and wanted to ensure their patients were supported through their hair and scalp health journey.

This means that having plenty of time for the trichologists to get to know their patients during their consultations, providing consistent, high-quality care across the entire business.

Before adopting Semble, their practitioners often had to spend key consultation time gathering background information that clients could have provided in advance. Each had their own way of working, which could prove quite tricky.

 "We feel confident that we can keep growing with no concerns... We’re very comfortable and looking at ambitious plans, knowing Semble will be able to support us in that journey.”

Victoria Russell Co-founder & CEO, Root Cause Clinical

“They all had their own format, so they were having to replicate a lot of work,” says Victoria. “And were using quite a lot of the consultation time securing that information. We needed to reduce that level of preparation.”

This lack of structure not only consumed valuable consultation time but also made it challenging to maintain a consistent experience. The team sought a solution that would centralise client data, automate time-consuming tasks, and allow trichologists to focus fully on client care.

The solution: Pre-consultation questionnaire allowing for a deeper connection with patients during consultation

With Semble, Root Cause Clinical implemented a structured pre-consultation questionnaires that includes photographs, medical history and blood test results, ensuring that all necessary data is gathered before clients even meet with their specialist. This questionnaire allows Root Cause Clinical’s team to spend more time addressing client needs rather than asking repetitive questions.

“From a client perspective, they want access to the trichologist as a trusted advisor, and by allowing them to provide the pre-consultation questionnaire data, this allows the trichologist to spend dedicated time just talking to the individual about their needs and their treatment pathway,” explains Victoria.

This feature not only enhances client satisfaction but also streamlines the practitioner's workflow, enabling more in-depth and personalised consultations.

“Having a really good picture of the client before we meet them saves both the client’s time and the specialist’s time, so they can focus on talking about what’s really important – their scalp and hair health. We reckon we can add another two consultations per day that otherwise would not be possible using a more manual approach.”

In fact, nearly every patient review on Root Cause’s TrustPilot page mentions how much time there was to have an in-depth discussion with their practitioner: “I felt totally at ease during the consultation. There was sufficient time during to discuss & to ask questions.”

“Having a good picture of the client before we meet them saves both their time and the specialist’s time, so they can focus on talking about their scalp and hair health. We can add another two consultations per day that otherwise would not be possible using a more manual approach.”

Victoria Russell Co-founder & CEO, Root Cause Clinical

Automated appointment reminders and follow-ups

Root Cause Clinical leverages Semble’s scheduling features to send automated email and SMS reminders, reducing no-show rates and keeping clients engaged in their treatment plan. This feature has been instrumental in creating a consistent experience for clients, allowing them to focus on their emotional and physical needs during appointments.

“The communication too – scheduling email and text reminders so they don’t forget their appointment, or a three-month follow-up. These mean the client can focus on talking to the trichologist,” Victoria adds.

These reminders help ensure patients remain committed to their care journey, even after the initial consultation.

Online booking and payments

Semble’s online booking allows clients to book consultations seamlessly, with payments taken upfront, which has helped to significantly reduce the number of no-shows, as well as reducing the admin time spent in managing credit control challenges for Root Cause Clinical. This feature also gives clients the flexibility to choose between in-clinic and video consultations, catering to the clinic’s international clientele.

“We wanted the flexibility for clients in California, Hong Kong, Thailand and the UK to have video consultations or also come into the clinic if they could and wanted to – Semble helped us figure that out and made that possible,” Victoria notes.

By supporting a global client base, Semble has empowered Root Cause Clinical to expand its reach while maintaining consistent care. Whether by video or in-clinic, their clients get the same welcome, approach, structure and report format.

Semble Data and reporting

With Semble Data, Victoria can start planning for Root Cause’s future, showing her exactly how well the business is doing and where, whilst also showing the team where the opportunities for growth lie. The company began with two trichologists, Wil and Jacky, who invested a year in research and development before launching fully. The team have onboarded a further five trichologists, with more joining from 2025.

“The reporting saves us so much time. We can keep reviewing how the system is working for us, how it’s saving us time, what conditions are being addressed, what treatments are being administered and client feedback. It also gives us ideas on how we want to build the business. Semble is always coming up with new features – the user support is really, supportive in giving us ideas and thinking outside the box. We’re innovating together.”

The centralisation of key reports and documents also aligns with the clinic’s mission to maintain high standards of care while freeing up time to focus on clients.

“We have something in common with Semble, which is we both want our clients to be happy. We're exceptionally happy and as a result, we think our clients are happy too and that's all down to this partnership.”

Victoria Russell Co-founder & CEO, Root Cause Clinical

“I’m a technology-led person and I could see the benefits of using Semble in that sense,” Victoria says. “I could see how it could be used to provide a much easier client journey, streamlining our activities and providing templates for standardisation. The attraction was having all the information in one place, and structure in a way that’s easy for us to analyse. Through Semble we’re able to provide a differentiated offering, something that really adds value and care.

“We have something in common with Semble, which is we both want our clients to be happy. We're exceptionally happy and as a result, we think our clients are happy too and that's all down to this partnership.”

Results and impact

Since implementing Semble, Root Cause Clinical has experienced significant improvements in both operational efficiency and client satisfaction. Key results include:

• Support for growth: With Semble’s scalability, Root Cause Clinical is confident in its ability to expand without compromising on quality. “We’re currently onboarding more trichologists. We feel confident that we can keep growing with no concerns that at some point we’ll need to think of another operator – in fact, that would fill us with fear,” Victoria remarks, highlighting their commitment to Semble. “We’re very comfortable and looking at ambitious plans, knowing Semble will be able to support us in that journey.”
• Enhanced client satisfaction: Clients feel more supported and valued, as the pre-consultation questionnaire allows a thorough approach which leads to a focused, in-depth consultation experience where practitioners can address specific concerns and emotional impacts without being bogged down by admin.
• Improved practitioner efficiency: The team has saved considerable time previously spent on administration, allowing trichologists to focus on patient care rather than paperwork. This shift has created a more meaningful client experience and allowed the clinic to grow by onboarding additional trichologists.
• Consistent, high-quality care: The standardised processes and centralised data have allowed Root Cause Clinical to offer a consistent and high-quality experience across all consultations. This consistency has bolstered their brand reputation as a person-centred, professional clinic that values client needs.