Proximus : innovates in the field of eHealth with patient-centric teleconsultation app Doktr

Fostering digital innovation in healthcare through a secure, convenient and patient-centric experience

With this new digital health service, Proximus responds to specific challenges of the current healthcare system: doctors that seek efficiency and supporting tools as they are under high pressure; patients that want to see a doctor in a safe and convenient way; and a healthcare system confronted with a need for sustainable digital innovation following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Doktr makes it possible for patients to quickly get in touch with a qualified doctor from any location, without having to go to a doctor's office, using only a mobile app. After identifying themselves securely with itsme and answering some basic questions, they will be connected with a doctor, who can see the patient info as well as a digital summary of the reason for the call in his webtool. Upon explicit consent of the patient, the doctor can get access to the patient's medical file or report back to his or her general practitioner if needed.

The application will be available before the summer on iOS & Android and is open to Proximus customers as well as non-customers who are registered with a Belgian health insurance fund. While the service is focused initially on basic primary care, Proximus' mid-term ambition is to enable all Belgian doctors, specialists and paramedics to connect digitally with their patients.

The available doctors on the service are all professionals accredited by RIZIV/INAMI. They are entitled to provide prescriptions but commit not to prescribe medicines that may be addictive or need intensive medical follow-up. Based on the video consultation, facilitating interpersonal communication and the detection of important visual signs, the doctor may refer the patient to a physical consultation or a hospital.

A first step on an ambitious journey to unlock the potential of digitization for doctors and patients

The launch of Doktr is another concretization of Proximus' ambition to move beyond typical connectivity services and to imagine and elaborate, together with partners, digital solutions for people to live better and work smarter. After earlier initiatives in education, financial services and smart advertising, this project aims to help relieve pressure on care givers and empower patients with digital tools to take active part in their healthcare journey.

In all these domains, Proximus strongly believes in the added value of collaboration and partnerships. As traditional models are being questioned from perspectives like data privacy, sustainability and one-size-fits-all dominance by global tech players, Proximus sees the opportunity to engage with ecosystems of local players to rethink complex local problems. Therefore, in the past months, Proximus has initiated open and regular discussions with a variety of stakeholders across the healthcare landscape - including RIZIV/INAMI, the Order of Doctors, health insurance funds and doctors' associations - in order to present its vision and upcoming service and listen to their feedback.

For the technical platform, Proximus works together with Doktor.se, a Swedish eHealth provider who has extensive experience in running similar services in the Nordics for several years and who is one of the leading European providers of teleconsultation platforms.

While the launch of Doktr is a cornerstone for Proximus' ambitions in the healthcare domain, it is only the first step on an ambitious journey. The app will be further enriched with specific features along the way, to unlock even more possibilities and increase convenience for both patients and doctors. Simultaneously, Proximus will continue to explore the potential of other initiatives in the eHealth domain, always putting the added value for patients and health professionals at the heart of its reflection.