PathMates

Inspiration

One of our teammates spent 6 months volunteering in infusion rooms, where she had conversations with patients going through chemotherapy. She noticed that while patients had clinical questions answered, they were still left with many practical and emotional questions. "How will treatment affect my work, family, and daily routine?" "How do I explain my diagnosis to my children or loved ones?" Patients often felt lonely, confused, and unsure. What they really wanted was to hear from people who understand what they were experiencing. Although online forums can help patients feel less alone, finding the right support is still difficult. Patients stories and practical advice are scattered across Facebook groups, Reddit, blogs, nonprofit websites, and other platforms. Patients often have to search through countless posts, join multiple communities, and sort through information that may be outdated or unrelated to their needs.

What it does

PathMates helps cancer patients feel heard and understood through other people's stories. In one accessible space, patients can discover experiences they relate to and share their own stories. PathMates gently prompts patients to reflect on their experiences to share with others, giving them a voice while offering comfort and guidance to others on a similar journey.

How we built it

We researched the information and support cancer patients commonly need beyond clinical care. We aimed to address the emotional burden of serious prognoses by gathering stories people can empathize with from multiple websites and organizing them into a single, easy-to-navigate experience.

Challenges we ran into

One of our biggest challenges was keeping our resources accurate and up to date. This is challenging because applying for API access on websites where people post these stories is time-consuming and couldn't be done within two days.

This was remedied by adding a feature where patients can opt in to submit their stories, allowing for a continuous influx. With API approval, we can also add stories from other platforms in real time.

Another challenge we encountered was compiling information from multiple websites and aggregating it in a way that isn't overwhelming. The goal wasn't simply to collect links, but to present the information in a clear, cogent way. Accomplishments that we're proud of We are proud of the time spent listening to patients' needs and thinking critically about how technology can make support more accessible. PathMates represents our effort to create something compassionate, useful, and grounded in patient experiences.

What we learned

We learned that useful support isn't just about providing more information; it's about delivering the right information at the right time in a human way.

We also learned how important it is to consider trust, accessibility, and maintenance when building a health-related resource. A tool is only helpful if patients can understand it, rely on it, and find current information when they need it.

What's next for PathMates

Next, we'll get PathMates in front of more real users and learn from their feedback. We have already begun sharing the project with cancer patients, and we hope to continue improving it based on their experiences.

In the future, we want PathMates to become an even more useful source of connection, practical guidance, and emotional support for people navigating cancer.