> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.arlohealth.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Start Conversation > Creates a new healthcare consultation and begins AI triage. The contextMessage should be a first-person narrative describing symptoms, duration, severity, and relevant medical history. ## OpenAPI ````yaml api-reference/openapi.yaml POST /api/consultations openapi: 3.1.0 info: title: Arlo Health MCP Server version: 1.0.0 description: | Healthcare infrastructure for AI agents. Everything an agent needs to act in healthcare for its user. ## Overview This server exposes two interfaces: - **MCP** (Model Context Protocol) over streamable HTTP at `/` for AI agents - **REST API** at `/api/*` for bots, skills, and direct HTTP clients Both interfaces use the same tool handlers and authentication. ## Authentication OAuth 2.1 with PKCE. All `/api/*` endpoints require a Bearer token. Discovery endpoints (no auth required): - `/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource` - `/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server` - `/.well-known/mcp.json` (MCP Server Card) ## Service Regions Care is licensed by where the patient is physically located when they request it, so every conversation carries an ISO 3166-2 `region` code. Arlo currently serves California, United States (`US-CA`); an unsupported region is refused with `REGION_NOT_SUPPORTED`, whose payload names the regions Arlo serves at that moment. contact: name: Arlo Health url: https://arlohealth.ai license: name: Proprietary url: https://arlohealth.ai/tos servers: - url: https://mcp.arlohealth.ai description: Production MCP Server security: - oauth2: - openid - profile - email - offline_access tags: - name: Discovery description: MCP and OAuth discovery endpoints (no auth required) - name: Profile description: User profile and patient information - name: Consultations description: Healthcare consultation management - name: Messaging description: Conversation messaging and media - name: Prescriptions description: Prescription and pharmacy management - name: Payment description: Billing and pay-per-use payment management - name: Webhooks description: Webhook registration and status paths: /api/consultations: post: tags: - Consultations summary: Start a new consultation description: | Creates a new healthcare consultation and begins AI triage. The contextMessage should be a first-person narrative describing symptoms, duration, severity, and relevant medical history. operationId: startConsultation requestBody: required: true content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/StartConsultationInput' responses: '200': description: Consultation started content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/ConsultationStarted' '400': $ref: '#/components/responses/BadRequest' '401': $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized' components: schemas: StartConsultationInput: type: object description: | Input for starting a conversation. **Important**: Format contextMessage as a first-person narrative, not a clinical summary. Include symptom, duration, severity, associated symptoms, and history. required: - contextMessage - region properties: contextMessage: type: string description: First-person narrative of health concern example: | I've had a sore throat for 3 days. It started with a scratchy feeling and now it hurts to swallow. I don't have a fever but I've been feeling tired. I had strep throat last year with similar symptoms. region: type: string description: | ISO 3166-2 code for where the patient is physically located right now (care is licensed by current location, not home address). An unsupported region is refused with REGION_NOT_SUPPORTED. example: US-CA ConsultationStarted: type: object description: | Response after starting a new conversation. The request returns as soon as the conversation is created (fast-ack) — it does NOT block for the first triage reply. Poll GET /api/consultations/{id} (or configure a webhook) to receive the AI's response. properties: conversationId: type: string description: The conversation ID status: $ref: '#/components/schemas/ConsultationStatus' ConsultationStatus: type: string enum: - IDLE - TRIAGING - PAYMENT_REQUIRED - MATCHING - WITH_PROVIDER - EMERGENCY description: > A conversation is a continuous thread — it never "closes." There is no terminal CLOSED/CANCELED status: a finished or canceled request simply leaves the conversation IDLE with its visit history intact. - IDLE: AI-only, nothing in progress. Re-engageable — sending a message re-runs triage - TRIAGING: AI is gathering symptom information on a live request - PAYMENT_REQUIRED: Triage complete, awaiting payment confirmation (or dismissal) - MATCHING: Being matched with a healthcare provider - WITH_PROVIDER: A provider is connected (messaging is asynchronous) - EMERGENCY: Urgent care advised — user should call 911 (not re-engageable) Error: type: object description: Error response properties: error: type: string description: Error code reason: type: string description: Human-readable explanation code: type: string description: Detailed error code responses: BadRequest: description: Invalid request content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' Unauthorized: description: Missing or invalid authentication content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: error: type: string needsAuth: type: boolean securitySchemes: oauth2: type: oauth2 description: OAuth 2.1 with PKCE flows: authorizationCode: authorizationUrl: /oauth/authorize tokenUrl: /oauth/token scopes: openid: OpenID Connect profile: User profile email: Email address offline_access: Refresh tokens ````