Frequently Asked Questions About ConsultAssistent

ConsultAssistent helps healthcare providers prepare for and follow up on consultations. It uses a digital automated medical history form to collect relevant patient information in advance. It also supports triage and AI-powered reporting. For follow-ups and outcome measurements, it reschedules appointments with patients at agreed-upon times.

ConsultAssistent is designed for hospitals and independent treatment centers. It is used by healthcare providers (such as doctors and nurses), support staff (such as clinic staff), and departments such as Quality and Innovation. It supports both the care process and the improvement of care outcomes and work processes.

ConsultAssistent collects patient information before and between care encounters, analyzes this data, and, using AI, makes it immediately available to healthcare providers in the EHR. It offers decision support and analytics, thereby complementing the EHR. The healthcare provider remains responsible for the decisions.

ConsultAssistent is highly versatile within the care process. During triage, ConsultAssistent helps determine more quickly what care is needed and how urgent it is, based on pre-entered symptoms and patient information. For scheduling and capacity planning, insight into care demand in advance leads to more predictable appointments and a more efficient use of available capacity. In addition, ConsultAssistent supports innovation and care improvement by systematically collecting data that can be used for quality improvement, research, and the optimization of care processes.

Yes, the data can be exported and used for scientific research, quality registries, and policy purposes. Because ConsultAssistent systematically collects data before, during, and after treatment, it creates a unique dataset of high quality. We use this data, among other things, to develop predictive models and identify patterns in symptoms—for example, to help estimate treatment outcomes or identify risks early on. The results of this support the healthcare provider during the consultation; clinical decision-making always remains the responsibility of the healthcare provider.

By gaining insight into outcomes (PROMs) and patient experiences (PREMs), the quality of care provided and patient satisfaction can be better demonstrated to insurers.

A digital medical history is a smart, healthcare-specific, and adaptive questionnaire. The follow-up questions adapt to the patient’s previous answers and collect targeted medical information for the consultation. A standard questionnaire is usually static and asks every patient the same questions.

A digital medical history means that patients fill out a questionnaire at home before their appointment, detailing their symptoms, medication use, and medical history. The answers are immediately available to the healthcare provider in the electronic health record, allowing the appointment to proceed in a focused and efficient manner.

Follow-up is an extension of this. After a consultation or treatment, the patient automatically receives follow-up questionnaires at set intervals. This provides an ongoing picture of the patient’s recovery and the progression of symptoms—without the need for repeated in-person visits.

PROMs (Patient-Reported Outcome Measures) measure the outcomes of care from the patient’s perspective, such as functioning and quality of life. PREMs (Patient-Reported Experience Measures) measure how the patient experienced the care, such as communication and treatment.

Together, PROMs and PREMs provide a comprehensive picture of care—not only the outcomes of treatment, but also the patient’s experience of the process. This makes the data valuable for quality improvement, shared decision-making, and demonstrating the quality of care to insurers and regulators.

• Better prepared, and therefore a more effective consultation
• Fewer administrative tasks
• Greater insight into patient information
• Decision-Making Support

• A Better Understanding of Healthcare Demand and Capacity
• Support for Quality Improvement
• Understanding Outcomes and Patient Experiences
• More Efficient Healthcare Processes

Patients are better prepared for their appointments, arrive feeling more relaxed, and feel more involved in their treatment.

Because patient information is collected in advance and processed automatically, healthcare providers spend less time on administrative tasks and routine questions during consultations.

Yes, patients often provide more complete and honest answers when they can fill out the form digitally in advance in their own familiar environment.

Collecting structural outcome data and patient experiences provides insight into treatment outcomes, variations in clinical practice, and opportunities for improvement—which can be used for quality registries and research.

ConsultAssistent uses AI to automatically summarize patients’ responses into a medical summary ready for the consultation. This summary follows the structure of the consultation report and is immediately available in the EHR. The healthcare provider always reviews and approves it personally—AI provides support but does not make decisions.

Yes, this data is available. Using the response dashboard, you can easily see how many invitations have been sent and what the response rate is. In addition, the ConsultAssistent implementation team actively monitors these figures and will contact you if the number of invitations or the response rate changes.

ConsultAssistent is implemented in collaboration with the healthcare organization and the (outpatient) clinic. Working together with healthcare providers, clinic staff, and key users, we map out the care process and the patient journey to ensure that the system aligns well with daily practice.

Implementation typically proceeds in stages:

• Assessment of Needs, Processes, and the Care Pathway
• Configuring the application (such as questionnaire modules, the invitation process, and communication with patients)
• Coordination and validation with a working group within the outpatient clinic
• Functional Testing in Collaboration with Application Management
• Support for Commissioning and Going Live
• Post-launch Support and Assistance

Thanks to this close collaboration, ConsultAssistent is perfectly aligned with the outpatient clinic’s procedures and those of the healthcare providers involved.

ConsultAssistent is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution and can therefore be implemented very quickly, depending on the availability of the necessary EHR integrations.

ConsultAssistent is user-friendly and integrates with existing workflows and the EPD, making it easy to use and supporting adoption.

Yes, ConsultAssistent can be implemented within a single specialty and then expanded to other departments or rolled out organization-wide.

Yes. For each specialty, the questions align with the department’s symptoms and care pathways. Together, we tailor the module to the information needed for the consultation. Where appropriate, we add questions related to research or clinical trials.

ConsultAssistent sends out questionnaires at a relevant point in the care process and automatically sends a reminder if the questionnaire has not yet been completed. The modules are short and easy to follow, with one question per screen. Because only relevant questions are asked, the time required to complete the questionnaire is kept to a minimum, which helps increase the response rate.

This can be customized for each care pathway and specialty. Questionnaires are automatically sent at relevant times, such as before an appointment, after a treatment, or at regular intervals during a long-term care process. The invitations are generated based on scheduled appointments in the EHR, with automatic reminders if the questionnaire has not yet been completed.

ConsultAssistent can be used in various medical specialties, such as cardiology, ophthalmology, surgery, geriatrics, orthopedics, ENT, gastroenterology, neurology, and gynecology. The setup is tailored to the specific care pathway. You can find a complete overview on the specialties page.

Before a procedure, patients complete an online questionnaire about their health, medications, and risk factors. ConsultAssistent compiles the answers into a structured report. The anesthesiologist uses this information to assess the preparation and determine the appropriate consultation format.

Yes, because information is available in advance, it is easier to determine whether an in-person consultation is necessary.

Medication use is systematically recorded in the EPD report so that this information is immediately available during the consultation.

For long-term or chronic care, ConsultAssistent collects data on symptoms, functioning, and treatment at set intervals. The dashboard displays changes over time, allowing the care team to identify any unusual trends and adjust the follow-up plan as needed.

Because data is available in a structured format, files can be reviewed more thoroughly and more quickly.

The patient’s responses are automatically incorporated into a structured medical report in the EHR, with clear highlighting of points requiring attention. In addition, a summary ready for use during the consultation is immediately available to the healthcare provider.

Patients complete questionnaires in advance (self-reported medical history). This information is summarized in a structured format and made available in the EHR. This makes the consultation more efficient and effective. During and after the consultation, the information can be supplemented with outcomes (PROMs), experiences (PREMs), and follow-up data. The collected data is highly suitable for research, valuable insights, and predictive models.

The time it takes to complete the questionnaire varies by patient and depends on the symptoms and the patient's profile. Thanks to the adaptive question structure, only relevant questions are asked, keeping the questionnaire as short and focused as possible.

Patients receive an invitation by email, text message, or through the patient portal. They see one question at a time, with a progress bar showing where they are. The questionnaire is accessible on any device.

ConsultAssistent automatically sends reminders if a questionnaire has not yet been completed. The timing and number of reminders can be configured for each care pathway.

Yes, the patient interface can be customized to match the healthcare facility’s brand identity, including its logo and colors. This creates a familiar and recognizable experience for the patient, which helps increase response rates and build trust in the form-filling process.

Patients provide information about their symptoms, medical history, medications, and other relevant details, such as their reason for seeking care. The questions adapt based on previous answers, so that only relevant information is requested.

Yes, older patients also complete the questionnaire well, often with high response rates. The modules are simple and clearly structured, with one question per screen. If a patient is unable to complete the questionnaire on their own, a caregiver or family member can do so together with the patient or on the patient’s behalf.

Yes, but ConsultAssistent is integrated with the EPD and serves as a supplement. Healthcare providers continue to work in their familiar environment.

Yes. ConsultAssistent integrates with EHRs such as HiX, Timeff, and Nexus, using HL7 v2 and FHIR, among other protocols, for data exchange. The structured report is sent directly to the EHR. After review by the physician, the AI summary is also added to the EHR. This allows healthcare providers to continue working within their existing workflow and avoid duplicate data entry.

ConsultAssistent integrates with ChipSoft HiX, Nexus Nederland, and Emma by Timeff, among others. The integration is based on common standards such as API, REST, SAML SSO, and HL7/FHIR.

Yes, ConsultAssistent has a staging environment that allows the integration and the process to be thoroughly tested before going live.

Patient data is stored in a 100% Dutch sovereign cloud environment at Intermax Cloudsourcing. No data is transferred abroad. Security measures include advanced encryption, access control, and logging—in accordance with NEN 7510.

Yes, ConsultAssistent complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and relevant healthcare standards such as NEN 7510 and ISO 27001. ConsultAssistent is currently a Class I medical device under the Medical Device Directive (MDD). We have an agreement with a notified body, and the conformity assessment for the MDR is underway. Until this assessment is completed, ConsultAssistent falls under the applicable transitional arrangements. Healthcare institutions always retain control over their data and its use.

Access to patient data is based on roles and authorizations. Only authorized users have access to the information necessary for their work. The healthcare institution always remains the data controller.