Certific's new communication platform helps to alleviate primary care overload

How did the idea of creating a new communication platform for primary care come about?

The new solution is a continuation of our expanding product portfolio, which addresses the same core problem that is at the heart of our mission: making medical services more accessible to patients by allowing them to do more for their own health. This includes providing better pre-information to doctors about their health to reduce diagnosis time, as well as doing analyses and tests from home to reduce the workload of doctors.

What problem does the new solution address?

Family doctors spend a large portion of their time on administrative tasks, such as documenting patient medical histories. This can be automated and that's what Certific's platform does. The more we can alleviate the burden on the healthcare system by allowing patients to take on greater responsibility, the more time we free up for doctors, and the more accessible services become.

What are the keywords that characterize the new platform?

Certific is created by doctors for doctors. Our own team consists of four medical professionals, and we always involve end-users in the development of new solutions. In this case, we work closely with family doctors and nurses. Certific's new family doctor platform addresses the most pressing problems in primary healthcare and solves them with smart technology.

The clinic manages the communication.

The workload of primary care centres is growing faster than ever. This is characterized by hundreds of phone calls per day, overflowing mailboxes, messages on WhatsApp, and doctors' social media accounts. Certific is one secure channel that consolidates all patient inquiries and where doctors can easily manage communication.

Simple and convenient for patients.

Instead of calling a doctor in vain when they are busy with appointments, patients can send their health concerns or request a sick leave certificate at a time most convenient for them and regardless of the clinic’s opening hours. The usual telephone back and forth game (that neither doctors nor patients like) is eliminated.

What sets Certific apart from other similar platforms?

We have placed a lot of emphasis on tools specifically aimed at doctors and nurses, which allow them to better manage all communication and paperwork between patients and the medical team. To spare healthcare workers unnecessary bureaucracy, our solution automatically processes patient inquiries into medical documents. The only remaining task is to copy-paste it to relevant official records, where needed. This takes only a few seconds, compared to 4-5 minutes that usually takes the doctor to transcribe something the patient has told them on the phone.

Family doctor Andres Lasn and nurse Eda Sildoja: Certific enables flexible use of time and more meaningful work

The Rapla Primary Care Centre has been using the Certific platform for three months, and feedback from both employees and patients has been positive. Family doctor Andres Lasn and nurse Eda Sildoja emphasize the main benefit of the platform as enabling more flexible and meaningful use of time, while patients appreciate not having to wait on the phone for an unknown amount of time.

You have been testing the platform in your primary care center for some time now. What new possibilities has the Certific platform given you as healthcare workers?

Nurse Eda Sildoja: The Certific platform has given me more opportunities to plan my time, for example in situations where I need to consult with a doctor about a patient. It's very good not to have to answer immediately on the phone to a patient waiting on hold, but instead to reply through the platform after discussing the matter with the doctor.

It also allows for selecting topics directed to a specific employee - for example, I am also a midwife, and if I see that there is an inquiry for a midwife, I can take that inquiry, and other nurses do not have to open it.

Dr Andres Lasn: I like that I don't have to use different platforms - when a patient makes an inquiry, I can respond to them in the same environment. Additionally, the Certific platform allows me to control communication with the patient - for example, I can schedule my responses to go out at a certain time. For a family doctor, this platform is a very convenient tool for managing their work and communication.

It also saves time - for example, patients with dizziness or headaches can mark down their symptoms themselves. Based on the selected symptoms, the platform creates concise summaries that are easy to copy into the medical record. In the case of some problems, questioning the patient takes me 30 minutes, but the Certific platform allows me to shorten that time by doing part of the work for me.

What is the greatest benefit of Certific that you would like to highlight?

Nurse Eda Sildoja: As a nurse, I think it's definitely about time management. And the fact that I can control the conversation more than when communicating with the patient by email or phone. With Certific, I can reserve time for consulting with the doctor. That way, the patient doesn't have to wait on the phone, and I don't have to disturb the doctor during their appointments.

Dr Andres Lasn: I like that I don't have to use different platforms - when a patient makes an inquiry, I can respond to them in the same environment. Additionally, the Certific platform allows me to control communication with the patient - for example, I can schedule my responses to go out at a certain time. For a family doctor, this platform is a very convenient tool for managing their work and communication.

It also saves time - for example, patients with dizziness or headaches can mark down their symptoms themselves. Based on the selected symptoms, the platform creates concise summaries that are easy to copy into the medical record. In the case of some problems, questioning the patient takes me 30 minutes, but the Certific platform allows me to shorten that time by doing part of the work for me.

What feedback have you received from patients regarding the platform?

Nurse Eda Sildoja: The feedback has been positive - patients are happy not to have to wait on the phone, and they can write down their concerns immediately - even at night, if they wish. There are always those, of course, who still prefer to call, but most are very satisfied with the Certific platform.