Platform API vs Engine API

You can create premium healthcare solutions using Infermedica API at two levels: Platform API and Engine API. Both give access to Infermedica’s clinically validated Medical Knowledge Base and proven Inference Engine.

Some key differences:

	Platform API (recommended)	Engine API
Type of API	Stateful Memory of previous calls	Stateless No memory of previous calls
Recommended use cases	Triage, Intake	Triage, Bespoke solutions
Development effort	⬤	⬤⬤⬤
Frontend effort required	⬤⬤	⬤⬤⬤
Backend effort required	⬤	⬤⬤⬤
Medical knowledge required	⬤	⬤⬤⬤
Ease of new feature adoption	⬤⬤⬤	⬤
Reusing data in future interactions by default
Default access to Infermedica Analytics
Class IIa Medical Device in EU	Coming soon

Differences between Platform API and Engine API

As can be seen above, the Platform API and Engine API differ in several respects. This includes the API’s state, the level of configurability, how easy the API is to use and implement, as well how much technical expertise is required to confidently use the API. These differences are discussed in further detail below.

Stateful vs Stateless

The biggest difference between the Platform API and Engine API is that the Platform API is stateful. This is a very important distinction as it allows for the storage of user data (note that personal data is stored on a temporary basis, as per our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy). This can then be used to gather information between multiple user interactions and provide the user’s information for use in future interactions, potentially leading to both better care and more continuous user engagement when using the Platform API. It also becomes a bit simpler to build a client system as they then receive the data on a question by question basis. That said, if the technical complexity of the Engine API isn’t an issue and privacy is the key concern then the stateless nature of that API would be the better choice.

Ease of use vs Configurability

The second noticeable difference is the navigation process. With the Engine API, the client is free to choose how to go about the interview process as it’s more a collection of what data to gather and how to get the results from said data without a strict order to how it can be done. When using the Platform API however, Infermedica specifies the exact workflows, types of questions to ask, and the order in which they should be asked. This significantly simplifies the process of gathering data, reduces the likelihood of technical issues arising, and improves the overall ease of use.

It’s very important to keep in mind that when it comes to implementation - even though the Engine API might not seem very complicated to experienced developers - there are usually some challenges brought about by the inherent freedom of choice that it offers. That said, because of the structured and precise nature of the Platform API, if a client needs a very customized solution and has the technical expertise to make that solution happen, the Engine API could serve as the better option.

Technical knowledge

The Platform API was also simplified in several areas to help with implementation times and overall usability. Arguably the largest area in terms of differences was the end of the interview. Given that the start of the interview is the user mainly providing their data, and that the question process largely consists of two options - either providing an answer or requesting a previous question - after getting a question, it’s fair to say that the most complicated part of the interview process is the ending.

With the Engine API, what happens at the end is that the user is informed that the interview has ended and it’s up to them to do what they want with the information provided. In certain contexts, like Intake, maybe the user won’t want to do anything immediately with the information provided and the interview ends there. However, in the context of Triage, it’s a bit more complicated.

In contrast, when using the Platform API, the end of the interview is simply a matter of following the steps that Infermedica provides. This leads to a significantly simpler technical process and is ideal for those clients who don’t have or want to invest in having a large development team.

More information

For more information or specific questions about how the two APIs differ, contact us (opens in a new tab).