What makes Confrere suitable for physicians?

Through close collaboration with healthcare professionals, Confrere has been developed to fit into a physician's workday, offering secure video calls with up to 4 participants and high reliability.

Do patients need to download an app to join a video consultation?

No. Patients receive a link via text message or email, open it on their smartphone, tablet or computer, and do not need to download any separate app.

How do patients join the video call?

1) Patients receive a link via text or email. 2) They enter their name and contact details and wait in a virtual waiting room. 3) The physician starts the secure encrypted call, with up to four participants in the video consultation.

How secure is Confrere for healthcare video calls?

Confrere meets strict security regulations including GDPR, HIPAA, and other applicable norms. The video calls are encrypted and built for the healthcare sector's privacy requirements.

Are video appointments reimbursable for physicians using Confrere?

Whether a physician can be reimbursed for video appointments depends on the telemedicine legislation in the physician's location. Confrere supports video appointments, but local regulation and reimbursement schemes apply.

How do I invite an interpreter when a patient has limited language or hearing competency?

You simply send the interpreter the same permanent link you use for your Confrere video consultations. They join the call alongside the patient and physician with no extra downloads or setup.

Can other healthcare professionals join a video consultation for integrated care coordination?

Yes. Integrated care coordination becomes easier when a physician, psychologist, nurse or social worker from another institution joins the secure video call through Confrere, enabling remote triage of new patients or follow-ups of regular ones while collaborating across healthcare branches and social services.

What are the benefits of offering video appointments in the physician's schedule?

Video appointments free up time in the physician's schedule and patients respond positively to them. They're easier to get started than you might think and can enhance convenience for both sides.

Confrere - Use Cases | Hospitals

Medical advancements make it possible to have follow-ups over video

It was only a few years ago that the rheumatology department had 24 hospital beds for patients who often had to be checked in for several days in a row. These days, patients don’t need to be hospitalized for treatment, they can just come in for day visits.

“There has been tremendous medical development in this field. It has allowed us to use new tools,” says section leader and nurse Kristin Erlingsdatter of the rheumatology department at Østfold Hospital, Moss, in an interview on the hospital's website.

“The first appointment with a specialist happens at the hospital, and often begins with drug treatment. Thereafter, patients come in for check-ups, usually with both doctor and nurse. In many cases, these check-ups can be done over video,” says rheumatology department chair Randi Olofsson in the same interview.

Both patients and healthcare providers are happy with Confrere

Confrere was used as the video solution in a pilot project by Østfold Hospital. The results were presented at a professional development day about video consultations at Sunnaas Hospital on October 16, 2019.

After each appointment, both patient and practitioner evaluated the Confere video solution.

Evaluation after the consultations, on a scale of 1-5. 17 consultations were conducted.

“The video solution ‘Confrere’ is well-suited to this use case. The conversations are encrypted, it’s not possible to record the conversations, and none of the patient data is stored. The patient should feel confident that this is a secure and safe solution,” says project leader Heidi Halvåg in the ICT department on the hospital’s website.

Confrere is approved by hospital regulations and works well in practice.

“The user-friendliness is really good, not least for the patients. The great thing about Confrere is that they take into account how the appointments work in-person, and they have a nice approach to functionality and usability,” says Helvåg in the wake of the project.

Dr. Kristoffer Simensen (left) and head doctor Nenad Damjanic, rheumatology department, are aided by projected leader Heidi Halvåg in getting familiar with the user-manual in preparation for testing. Photo: Sykehuset Østfold