Aside · A companion in the gap

The physician friend every patient deserves —
in the room, in real time.

Aside listens to your visit, checks the work in real time against the most up-to-date medical literature, and quietly hands you the right question to ask — before the wrong plan becomes the plan. Then it handles the medication management, schedules follow-up visits, and checks your insurance coverage so you can go home and rest easy knowing you got the best possible care.

01 / Patient view

What you see, quietly,
in your hand.

A calm, plain-language timeline of your visit. As Aside reviews the proposed plan against the literature, it surfaces the questions worth bringing back to the doctor — phrased to open dialogue rather than close it.

On-device transcription · HIPAA-aligned · Patient-owned data
/01 · Plain language
No jargon. The visit, explained the way a friend would tell you.
/02 · The gap
When the surgeon steps out, Aside goes to work. Three thoughtful questions, one priority.
/03 · Tap to expand
Each question opens to show the evidence and the exact words to use.
/04 · One tap to act
"I'll ask Dr. Chen." Saved to bring up the moment she's back.
Maria · patient
Listening 00:00
3 questions ready
10:42
Your visit
Memorial General
10:42 AM
Your visit started
Dr. Chen reviewed your CT scan with you.
10:43 AM
Surgery was recommended
Laparoscopic appendectomy · OR scheduled for 4:00 PM today.
10:48 AM
Dr. Chen stepped out
She'll be back in about 30 minutes after seeing other patients.
While you wait · Aside is reviewing your case
10:51 AM Aside
Worth asking about antibiotics
You may not actually need surgery. The CT pattern fits a non-operative path.
Tap to see the question
"Given my CT shows no appendicolith, am I a candidate for antibiotic-first treatment, like in the CODA trial?"
CODA · NEJM 2020 n = 1,552 ~70% avoid surgery
Saved · ask when she's back
10:55 AM Aside
If antibiotics don't work, what then?
A safety-net question. About 1 in 4 patients on antibiotics still need surgery within a year.
Tap to see the question
10:58 AM Aside
How does recovery compare?
2–4 weeks off after surgery vs. 5–7 days on antibiotics. Worth weighing.
Tap to see the question
11:14 AM
Dr. Chen is back
Asking if you have any final questions before the OR.
11:15 AM
You raised the antibiotics option
She agreed it's a reasonable path given your CT findings.
11:22 AM
Plan changed · surgery canceled
Admit for IV antibiotics, then a 7-day course at home.
02 / Trusted circle

When the doctor leaves,
you don't have to be alone.

With one tap, a trusted loved one joins your visit securely from anywhere. They watch the same plain-language, live timeline, see the questions Aside surfaces, and can endorse the one worth asking first. A literal co-sign from the people who already know you best.

End-to-end encrypted · Read-only · Auto-expires at discharge · Patient revokes anytime
/01 · Tap to invite
Pick someone from your contacts. No account creation, no app install — just a secure link.
/02 · A heart that lands
When Marcus endorses a question, it appears here. Quiet support that elevates without overriding.
/03 · One tap to join
Push notification straight to his lock screen. Tap once — the link expires when your visit ends.
/04 · Read-only by design
He watches. He can't change records, message your clinician, or see anything you didn't share.
Maria · patient
Listening 00:00
3 questions ready
10:42
Your visit
Memorial General
M
Marcus highlighted question #1 "He thinks this one's worth asking."
10:42 AM
Your visit started
Dr. Chen reviewed your CT scan with you.
10:43 AM
Surgery was recommended
Laparoscopic appendectomy · OR scheduled for 4:00 PM today.
10:48 AM
Dr. Chen stepped out
She'll be back in about 30 minutes after seeing other patients.
10:50 AM
Marcus joined · watching with you
Read-only access · ends when your visit does.
While you wait · Aside is reviewing your case
Marcus
10:51 AM Aside
Worth asking about antibiotics
You may not actually need surgery. The CT pattern fits a non-operative path.
Tap to see the question
"Given my CT shows no appendicolith, am I a candidate for antibiotic-first treatment, like in the CODA trial?"
CODA · NEJM 2020 n = 1,552 ~70% avoid surgery
Saved · ask when she's back
10:55 AM Aside
If antibiotics don't work, what then?
A safety-net question. About 1 in 4 patients on antibiotics still need surgery within a year.
Tap to see the question
10:58 AM Aside
How does recovery compare?
2–4 weeks off after surgery vs. 5–7 days on antibiotics. Worth weighing.
Tap to see the question
11:14 AM
Dr. Chen is back
Asking if you have any final questions before the OR.
11:15 AM
You raised the antibiotics option
She agreed it's a reasonable path given your CT findings.
11:22 AM
Plan changed · surgery canceled
Admit for IV antibiotics, then a 7-day course at home.
Marcus · husband · Boston
Watching 00:00
10:50
Maria's visit Read-only
End-to-end encrypted · Ends at discharge
10:42 AM
Maria's visit started
Dr. Chen reviewed her CT scan.
10:43 AM
Surgery was recommended
Lap appy · OR at 4:00 PM today.
10:48 AM
Dr. Chen stepped out
Back in about 30 minutes.
Aside reviewing · questions incoming
10:51 AM Aside
Worth asking about antibiotics
She may not need surgery. CT pattern fits a non-operative path.
CODA · NEJM 2020 · ~70% avoid surgery
10:55 AM Aside
If antibiotics fail, then what?
Safety-net question. ~1 in 4 still need surgery within a year.
10:58 AM Aside
How does recovery compare?
2–4 weeks vs. 5–7 days. Worth weighing.
11:14 AM
Dr. Chen is back
Checking for final questions before the OR.
11:15 AM
Maria raised the antibiotics option
Dr. Chen agreed given the CT findings.
11:22 AM
Plan changed · surgery canceled
IV antibiotics now, 7-day course at home.
10:48
Tuesday, May 5
Aside now
Maria invited you to her ED visit
"Tap to join. End-to-end encrypted · ends at her discharge."
↓ Beneath the surface
03 / System view

What Aside is doing
underneath.

The same encounter, in clinical-instrument view: verbatim diarized transcript on the left, Aside's reasoning pipeline on the right. Both update in lockstep with the patient view above. You'll have a secure record of this on your device for future reference, so Aside can keep learning about you over time.

Live encounter — Emergency Department | Maria O., 34F · MRN ████-7281
10:42 AM · Tue
Encounter #2843 Memorial General Diarized · on-device
10:42:14 Dr. R. Chen · Acute care surgery
Your CT shows a 9-millimeter appendix, mild fat stranding, no perforation, no appendicolith. That's uncomplicated acute appendicitis. I'd like to take you for laparoscopic appendectomy this afternoon — we have an opening at four.
10:42:51 Maria · patient
Surgery? Today? Is… is there any other option?
10:43:08 Dr. R. Chen · Acute care surgery
It's routine — thirty minutes in the OR, home tomorrow. The standard of care. I'll be back in about half an hour after I see two more patients.
Clinician out of room Dr. Chen exited the room · 10:48 AM
Aside continues monitoring · 26 min until expected return
M
Trusted circle · viewer joined Marcus O. (husband) accepted invite · 10:50 AM
Read-only · E2E encrypted · auto-revokes at discharge
11:14:02 Dr. R. Chen · returned to bay
OK Maria, the OR is just about ready. Anything you'd like to ask before we head down?
11:15:33 Maria · patient
Dr. Chen — given my CT shows no appendicolith, am I a candidate for antibiotic-first treatment? I was reading about the CODA trial.
11:16:11 Dr. R. Chen · Acute care surgery
That's a thoughtful question. You're right — without an appendicolith, the data on antibiotics-first is genuinely good. Let me walk you through the trade-offs and we'll decide together.
Care plan — updated 11:22 AM SHARED · PT, MD, RN
  • Laparoscopic appendectomy · OR scheduled 16:00 canceled
  • Admit to medicine · observation × 24h
  • IV piperacillin-tazobactam 3.375 g q6h × 24h
  • Transition: PO amoxicillin-clavulanate 875/125 BID × 7 days
  • Surgery clinic follow-up · 2 weeks

One question.
One avoided surgery.

Without Aside in the room — and Marcus on the line — Maria would have been on the OR table at 4:00 PM today. Instead, she's discharged tomorrow morning with a prescription bottle and a follow-up on the calendar.

The path not taken

Laparoscopic appendectomy

  • Recovery: 2–4 weeks off work
  • General anesthesia · intubation
  • Three abdominal incisions, permanent
  • Surgical complication risk: ~6%
  • Estimated cost: ~$14,200
The path taken

Antibiotics-first management

  • Back to work: ~5–7 days
  • 24-hour inpatient observation
  • IV antibiotics → 7-day oral course at home
  • Adverse event risk: <2%
  • Estimated cost: ~$3,400
Evidence base CODA Collaborative, Flum et al., NEJM 2020, n=1,552. Roughly seven in ten comparable patients remain surgery-free at one year; among those who later need an appendectomy, outcomes are equivalent to up-front surgery. No mortality difference.

Have a physician friend
and your actual friends in the room.

Closed beta is rolling out across the Northeast US starting Q3 2026. Patients with chronic conditions, complex care plans, and frequent specialist visits are first in line.

HIPAA-aligned · End-to-end encrypted · Patient-owned data