QConferencing's FaceTalk app is a virtual office where doctors can make secure video calls with patients and other healthcare professionals. It was specially developed for use in healthcare, and offers a range of features to make it easy for doctors and patients to use.

During 2017 we collaborated with QConferencing to bring Vidyo's Telemedicine solution to the Netherlands, branded as FaceTalk.

The key concept behind FaceTalk is to make doctor-patient face-to-face video calls effortless and practical. A patient receives an invitation to a video appointment from the doctor via email or calendar meeting, clicks a link and joins the call.

Deep linking

Designing an app that works even if it isn't installed was our main challenge.

We implemented a solution that uses deep linking. Deep links combine client- and server-side code to allow launching an app, or installing and then launching it if it isn't already installed. When the app is installed, clicking the link will launch it and pass parameters to the app so that specific functionality is performed. If the app isn't installed, however, the user is redirected to the AppStore page of the app to install it. Once installed, launching the app finishes the flow initially triggered by clicking the link.

With deep linking in place, the main acquisition source for FaceTalk became the deep links, or doctor invitations.

Integration

FaceTalk was designed for patients and doctors, and as such features a simple, flat UI. Joining a video call is typically done with a trigger outside of the app: a link sent by the doctor via email, calendar invitation or located on the clinic's website. No sign-up or sign-in is required, neither any input or confirmation.

One of the integrations we've included in the app was CallKit. This allowed incoming phone calls during a video chat to be accepted by the user, placing the video call on hold.

Another key requirement was to be able to easily customize the app and avoid a separate development path for each hospital or clinic which wanted a branded version of the app. To achieve this, we implemented a native/web hybrid approach where some of the views would be loaded dynamically as HTML, while the shell and some of the views remained native to facilitate smooth transitions and allow video streaming.

More about FaceTalk

VidyoCore

Later that year we refactored the core functionality which powers FaceTalk and similar Vidyo-based mobile apps into a standalone mobile framework: VidyoCore. VidyoCore enables in-app video chats and requires literally minutes to set up. Enabling video chats in your app enhances your customer support and helps your sales team cultivate personal relationships with new or existing customers.

More about VidyoCore