What is online consultation software?
Online consultation software lets patients describe a clinical or administrative need without first speaking to reception. A GP practice reviews the request and decides how to respond, whether through advice, an appointment or another service. Patients need to know what happens next. Staff need enough information to respond and a shared view of the requests awaiting attention.
Anima, Accurx, eConsult and Patchs help practices gather and manage patient requests online. How much information does the patient need to provide, and what does your team receive? Here’s how Anima and eConsult compare.
Comparing Anima and eConsult
eConsult describes structured patient histories, self-help and signposting, alongside tools for managing requests. When considering an eConsult alternative, compare the complete journey from submitting a request to recording its outcome. Check the modules and integrations included in the setup offered to your practice.
| eConsult | Anima Triage & Messaging |
|---|---|
| Request capture: Structured medical and administrative requests Source: eConsult features | Request capture: Asks patients questions tailored to their presenting problem Source: Anima triage |
| Urgency & routing: Smart Inbox team allocation and urgency filters Source: eConsult Smart Inbox | Urgency & routing: Risk scores and structured histories support your team’s review and routing decisions Source: Anima triage |
| Appointments: Self-booking through iPLATO Source: eConsult digital access and booking | Appointments: Choose which questionnaire answers trigger an automatic appointment offer, with appointment type, clinician and booking window set by your practice Source: Anima practice-defined appointment rules |
| Patient messaging: SMS and email from Smart Inbox Source: eConsult messaging | Patient messaging: Send SMS and email linked to patient requests Source: Anima messaging |
| Replies & follow-up: Two-way messages and attachments Source: eConsult messaging | Replies & follow-up: Exchange two-way messages with the patient within the request workflow Source: Anima patient replies |
| EHR integration: EMIS and SystmOne through the eConsult toolbar Source: eConsult Smart Inbox | EHR integration: Generates triage summaries for the clinical record Source: Anima save-to-record summary |
Published by Anima. Feature evidence comes from our comparison review of 2026-10-07; linked sources show the supporting documentation. “Not listed” means the reviewed source does not describe the feature, not that the supplier cannot provide it. Confirm availability, integrations and commercial terms for your practice.
FAQs
What should you check when comparing online consultation forms?
Try a clinical problem, an administrative request and a request submitted on someone else’s behalf. Assess how clearly the form gathers information and what the practice receives. Include patients who need help completing a request, and establish how staff enter information collected by telephone or at reception.
How should you compare triage inboxes and patient replies?
Follow a request through allocation, review, follow-up questions and completion. Check whether staff can see who owns it and whether the patient’s replies stay attached to the request. Test what happens when a request moves between teams or remains unanswered.
What should you check about clinical-system integration?
Ask for a demonstration using your EMIS Web or SystmOne setup. Check patient matching, record saving and appointment booking separately. Establish which steps are automatic, which require staff action and whether a separate toolbar or service is needed.
Are you planning a change in online consultations and triage?
Map your current request volumes, access routes and outstanding work before making a change. Agree the staff training and patient communications needed, then test the proposed workflow with the people who will use it.
Explore Anima triage and appointments or Contact the Anima team to learn more.
Thinking about digital transformation? Compare the other tools your practice uses.