Telemedicine: Supporting Women’s Health in the 2nd Half of Their Lives

Although telemedicine has been around for several decades, it has recently become ubiquitous due to its ability to solve many issues in healthcare, including ease of access. What is less ubiquitous is the ability for women to get the help they need treating menopause symptoms. In fact, only 7% of women get the help they need to manage symptoms.

Gennev, a health solution for women in the second halves of their lives, recognized the unaddressed issues that many women face as they transition into menopause and wanted to incorporate telemedicine to make information and treatments more accessible. Archetype partnered with Gennev to develop an online platform to provide a variety of services—including video telemedicine—that empower women to get the support they need as they reach this new stage in their lives.

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BACKSTORY

With their background in women’s personal care products, the founders of Gennev observed a stigma surrounding women’s health, specifically when it came to menopause. The founders were determined to do one thing: make a big, positive impact on women’s health. This goal inspired them to launch a company to destigmatize the discussion of women’s health and provide convenient access to healthcare for menopausal women.

Every woman near or in midlife will experience menopause, and with this experience comes a variety of symptoms including hot flashes, decreased libido, weight loss, inconsistent periods, mood swings, loss of concentration, depression, fatigue, hair loss, and more. Every woman experiences these symptoms differently, and unfortunately, many women dismiss them or get misdiagnosed when they visit a healthcare provider. This misdiagnosis is often due to the fact that the symptoms vary widely from woman to woman.

Accessibility to expertise and understanding is what women need to support them during menopause. Recognizing the impact it has on women’s standard of living and long-term health, Gennev was determined to provide an accessible online clinic specializing in products and services centered around menopause.

STRATEGY

Archetype used its software development services and expertise to design and build out the online telemedicine solution. The design was aimed at enabling women to consult with practitioners who specialize in midlife and menopause from wherever they are.

Using Agile Methodology, the development team worked with Gennev to understand the business requirements and deliver the telemedicine service in a timely fashion according to priorities. The requirements for the telemedicine service included a video conferencing tool that was seamlessly integrated with Gennev’s site and brand, the ability for patients to view provider availability, choose providers based on state, have secure online payments, and get appointment reminders. The final build integrated several SaaS applications, including TokBox for video conferencing and Acuity Scheduling for booking appointments. Utilizing these tools allowed the team to focus on developing in-house features and customizations, speeding up the time to market.

The resulting telemedicine platform enables women to browse providers, schedule appointments, and connect with a practitioner all within Gennev’s application for a seamless user experience. Providers and patients both receive email reminders to ensure nobody misses an appointment. At appointment time, the patient can join her appointment directly through her personalized dashboard. During the appointment, providers can utilize their appointment dashboard to view notes and prescriptions from past appointments, as well as write new notes and send the patient a follow-up message at the end of the appointment. With these features in place, patients are able to talk with experienced health care practitioners from wherever they are and get healthcare that meets their needs.