InFlow

Inspiration

The inspiration for InFlow came from recognizing a significant gap in the healthcare industry: women have received unequal representation in pharmaceutical testing, despite women using pharmaceuticals more frequently than men. According to Johnson et al. (2016) in the journal article ‘Patterns and prevalence of medication use across the menstrual cycle among healthy, reproductive aged women,’ “82% of women aged 18–44 report using medication compared with 68% of men in the same age group, identifying a significant gender difference in prevalence of medication use.” This imbalance in pharmaceutical testing is explained in the journal article ‘Adverse effects in women: Implications for drug development and regulatory policies’ by Parekh et al. (2011). Following tragedy after drug testing created negative health outcomes in pregnant women and their young in the 1960s and 1970s, women of childbearing years were excluded from participating in clinical trials to protect the fetus, however this was generalized to all women. While in the early 1980’s, a women’s inability to participate in clinical trials was challenged and overturned on ethical grounds, as late as the 1990’s women were still being excluded from federally funded studies. This has adverse effects on data for the long-term usage of pharmaceuticals for women. The blood plasma content varies significantly between men and women and yet dosage adjustment is often not recommended on packaging. In addition, The 2001 GAO report entitled ‘Drug Safety : Most Drugs Withdrawn in Recent Years Had Greater Risks for Women’ concluded that 8 out of 10 prescription drugs withdrawn from the market had higher risks for women, in part because “women were more likely to receive doses in excess of those deﬁned by the guidelines and signiﬁcantly higher bleeding was associated with this excessive dosing.” Finally, the article ‘The problem of medicating women like the men: conceptual discussion of menstrual cycle-dependent psychopharmacology,’ by Yum, Yum, and Kim (2019) illustrate that women’s pharmaceuticals should receive further gender specific trials due to the fact that "women's clinical symptoms can change throughout the ovulatory cycle, leading to fluctuations in medication responses”, therefore “effective medication [dosage] may be different at different phases of the menstrual cycle.” In this study it was found that “Dopamine levels in the prefrontal cortex seem to depend on the phase of the estrous cycle and may account for the changes in drug sensitivity throughout the cycle,” which also heavily affects drug adverse reactions. We noticed that many women struggle to find a comprehensive solution that not only helps them track their health and medications but also understands the unique fluctuations and patterns of female health. In particular, we aimed to address the challenge of managing pain levels and understanding how different medications affect these levels over time.

What it does

InFlow is an app designed to empower women by offering a platform to track their health, particularly focusing on pain levels and medication impacts. Users can log their daily health data, including pain levels, medication intake, and any side effects. InFlow analyzes this data to provide insights into how different medications affect pain levels over time, helping users and healthcare providers make informed decisions about treatment plans.

How we built it

We built InFlow using a combination of technologies that ensured a smooth and user-friendly experience. The front end was developed with React Native, enabling us to deploy on both Android and iOS platforms seamlessly. For the back end, we used Node.js and Express for server-side logic.

Challenges we ran into

One of the biggest challenges we faced was ensuring the accuracy and privacy of user data. Additionally, creating an intuitive user interface that could cater to a wide range of users, from tech-savvy individuals to those less familiar with digital health tools, presented its own set of design challenges.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are particularly proud of developing a platform that respects the sensitivity of female health data. Our ability to provide actionable insights based on medication and pain level tracking is another accomplishment that stands out, as it directly impacts users' well-being and empowers them to take control of their health.

What we learned

Throughout the development of InFlow, we learned a great deal about the intricacies of female health and the importance of personalized healthcare solutions. We also gained insights into the technical aspects of building a secure and scalable health tracking app.

What's next for InFlow

The future of InFlow looks promising. We plan to introduce more features, such as menstrual cycle tracking, fertility predictions, and integration with wearable devices for real-time health monitoring. Additionally, we aim to collaborate with healthcare professionals to ensure that InFlow can serve as a valuable tool in clinical settings, improving the way female health is managed and treated.