Platform

Platform

Engineering definition

1. A raised physical surface on which to stand.
2. A computer system (hardware) or/and the software used on it, e.g., Microsoft Windows or iOS.
3. A software solution that acts as a brokerage between two entities, e.g., UBER, which acts as a platform brokering between drivers and customers.

Medical definition

An online tool for medical professionals to share and discuss information and ideas.

Confusion

The main message here is not to define differences but to understand the contemporary use of the word “platform” as it is applied to a common ecosystem in the software or hardware space that can connect various stakeholders, e.g., customers/patients, engineers/doctors, and vendors/hospitals.