What is the difference between MCP and REST?
MCP, the Model Context Protocol, is a standard way for an AI assistant to discover and call tools. A model reads each tool’s name, description and schema, chooses one, and treats the result as context. REST is a set of HTTP endpoints that your code calls directly, with request and response shapes you handle yourself. The practical difference is who drives the calls. With MCP, a language model decides which tool to call next within the limits the server sets. With REST, your code decides, and you build the screens and logic around it.How do the three Hi Doctor surfaces compare?
Credentials do not cross over. MCP tokens are rejected by the REST API, and
REST tokens are rejected by the MCP endpoint.
When should you choose the MCP connector?
Choose MCP when the product is a conversation. An assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT can take a patient through a questionnaire one question at a time, read their consultations and messages, and create a payment link, without you writing a client for each task. Scopes limit which tools a connection gets, and actions with consequences wait for the patient through an approval link. If you run your own chat product and already hold a patient’s REST session, HTTP chat integration runs the questionnaire over plain HTTP.When should you choose the patient REST API?
Choose REST when you build your own screens and want full control of each request. You handle sign-up, the questionnaire loop, uploads, pagination, errors and safe retries yourself. The questionnaire guide and idempotency pages cover the parts that need the most care.When should you choose the Partner API?
Choose the Partner API when your platform owns the patient relationship and sends consultations to Hi Doctor from its own product. Access to the Partner API is granted per partner agreement. Request access: hello@hi-doctor.ai Your platform uploads any photos first withPOST /v1/partner/files, then
submits the consultation with the patient’s consent, answers and file
references in one request, POST /v1/partner/consultations, and follows it
through signed webhooks.
The commercial side is on Partner with Hi Doctor.
What stays the same on every surface?
Some steps never move into code or a model, whichever surface you choose.- Every consultation is reviewed in full by an EU-licensed doctor, who decides on medical grounds only. See Safety.
- Eligibility checks run on Hi Doctor’s servers, so no client can skip them.
- Payment for a patient’s own consultation happens on Stripe’s checkout page.
- A pharmacy dispenses the medicine; Hi Doctor does not sell, stock or ship it.
Frequently asked questions
Is MCP a replacement for a REST API?
No. MCP suits products where a language model chooses the next call, and REST suits products where your own code does. Hi Doctor offers both, with separate credentials.Can I use an MCP token with the Hi Doctor REST API?
No. MCP tokens are rejected by the REST API, and REST tokens are rejected by the MCP endpoint.Which option lets a platform submit consultations for many patients?
The Partner API. Access is granted per partner agreement, and the platform authenticates with API keys and receives signed webhooks.Can an integration approve a consultation or issue a prescription?
No. Every consultation is reviewed in full by an EU-licensed doctor, who decides on medical grounds only. No algorithm, assistant or API call approves a consultation, issues a prescription or changes a dose.Does the MCP connector need an API key?
No. The patient signs in on hi-doctor.ai and approves the connection, and the client receives OAuth tokens limited by scopes.Where do I start with the patient REST API?
Start with the API reference introduction and the quickstart, then follow the questionnaire guide.Next steps
Integration options
The decision table for MCP and REST.
MCP overview
Connect an assistant to Hi Doctor.
API quickstart
Sign in and make your first reads.
Partner API overview
Send consultations from your platform.