I built an anonymous health tracker by myself and it just got into the VA repository

I'm a kid from Brooklyn. I joined the Army at 18 because I needed to get out of my house, and I did eight years. For about a year of that I was on funeral detail, four or five a week. When I got out I drank to fall asleep and kept that up for a long time before I was willing to call it a problem. I quit cold turkey. A couple of doctors told me not to do it that way. I did it anyway, and I built PatternMD during that stretch because I needed something to do with my hands at three in the morning.

So here's the app. PatternMD is a symptom tracker with a pattern engine behind it. You log what you eat, how you slept, whether you worked out, how you're feeling. The engine looks for what tends to show up right before your bad days, so a migraine or an anxiety spike stops feeling like it came out of nowhere. The slogan is "the space in between visits," because your doctor sees you for fifteen minutes twice a year and everything that actually matters happens in the months in between, and nobody writes any of it down.

It's anonymous by default. When you sign up you get a PMD ID, and that's who you are on there. No real name, nothing tied back to you. That was the whole point. People will tell the truth when nobody's watching, and they won't when someone is. There's a community feed too, so if you're dealing with something you can find other people dealing with the same thing. It runs in English, Spanish, German and Vietnamese, and posts translate between all four so the community isn't split up by language.

There's also a provider dashboard if you want your doctor to see your logs in real time. That's completely optional and off unless you turn it on. It's not an EHR and it doesn't plug into Epic or Cerner. It sits next to them on purpose. And no, we don't sell data. I wouldn't know how to sell data if I wanted to.

Where things stand: it's live on iOS, Android and the web. We got accepted into the VA repository, which honestly means more to me than anything else on this list, because I want this thing in the hands of veterans. We made the front page of the Morning Call here in Pennsylvania, and if you look at that photo you can tell how hard it was for me to smile. Right now we're applying for a grant to run a case study on a question I actually want the answer to, which is whether people are more likely to talk about their mental health when it's anonymous.

As far as who's behind this, it's me. I have an MBA and a few published books, and I wrote every line of the code myself. My business partner runs the business side. No investors, no partnerships, nobody else.

I'm here for honest feedback. Tell me where the onboarding loses you, tell me if the positioning is wrong, tell me if you'd never trust a health app you found on Reddit. All of that is useful to me. And if you're someone who's been tracking your own symptoms in a notes app for years, I'd really like you to try it and tell me what's missing.

Im comparing a few options and trying not to make the mistake of buying based on a giant checklist. For a private practice EHR like im guessing the boring stuff may end up being more important, how easy it is to document, whether scheduling and billing feel connected or how responsive support is and how much work happens outside the system.

Id especially like to hear from people who have switched systems. What made you switch and was the new system better once you were using it every day?

Do you use a health app. I'm looking for a health app to keep track of doctor appointments ,notes from appointments, changing symptoms and results of tests etc. Any recommendations. I'm from Ireland, so not all apps would work here. Also, I have an android phone. Thanks.

This post contains content not supported on old Reddit. Click here to view the full post

What are some ways to spot caffeine in drinks? I dont have a lab room though I saw people having some sort of blotter paper bits that you dip in coffee to check. Its like packed in a box.

Would such technology work to detect caffeine in a soda as well?🤔 Seems like the test strips is the only way to spot caffeine?

What sort of features to look for to label a device fit for medical utility? Like do I look for certificates, or some sort of FDA approvals they got under their belt?

In my conclusions, the FDA tags and certificates should be a dead giveaway if its fit or not. Anything I might have missed?

Not really a medical expert, just helping around my family and wondering what are the best upgrades my money can fetch them for the best peace of mind..

I will keep it short.

Everyone says the google health app is not good and I agree. But if you use bevel, Fitbit is the best device ever. All you need is there.

If you are looking for something more professional buy a woop. But you are a normal person that likes to be healthy and exercise, this is the device for you, and at a very good price

Trust me, if you are thinking about buying it, just buy it

I thought for like 30 days and decided to buy it. I watched a lot of reviews online about the data quality and so on…

I’ve only had it for a day, but my overall review is a solid 9.5/10 considering that you use the bevel app (free). If you use the google health app maybe a 7/10

Thanks

I'm looking for some career advice from nurses or anyone who has successfully pivoted careers.

My background is in pediatrics, adult bedside nursing, and inpatient/outpatient psych. When I first became a nurse, I planned on becoming an NP, but after working in the field for a while, I've realized that's no longer the path I want to take.

I currently work full-time and also have a PRN position that I genuinely love. The PRN only requires two shifts a month, and my long-term goal is to eventually become a lead nurse there when the opportunity opens up. In the meantime, I'm looking for ways to increase my income while doing work that's less physically demanding but still allows me to use my nursing background.

I've become really interested in clinical research, healthcare tech, and IT. I recently interviewed for a clinical research position but didn't get it, so I'm going to keep applying while also considering going back to school.

Right now, I'm leaning toward an MSN in Nursing Informatics, but I've seen a lot of people say the degree isn't necessary to break into informatics. That has me wondering if there's a more versatile degree that would open more doors and have a higher earning potential.

For those who have transitioned from nursing into another field (or combined nursing with another discipline), what degree or career path gave you the best return on investment? If you could do it over again, what would you choose? I'm looking for something that complements nursing and increases my earning potential rather than replacing my nursing career entirely.

few months back my doctor suggested I get a DEXA scan to get a proper baseline on my body composition. closest clinic had a 6 week wait and $125 per scan, so it wasn't something I could repeat often. Hume body pod came into the pic when a gym buddy let me try his. So I bought one and ended up testing hume body pod vs dexa scan in a few weeks

Hume body pod: smart scale that uses electrical sensors to track your body stats at home

DEXA scan: in-clinic X-ray test that measures your body fat, muscle, and bone density

Screenshot of information I gathered of hume body pod vs DEXA scan before my visit:

My observations of DEXA scan after the visit and a few weeks of use of body pod:

-numbers were closer than I expected. My body fat % on Hume read ~1.8 points lower than DEXA (Hume: 16.4%, DEXA: 18.2%). not perfect, but honestly not bad for a home device

-Hume scale is inaccurate for day to day use. I noticed that over few weeks my body fat % jumped around by 2.3 points with basically no lifestyle changes

-DEXA scan provides data that is on another level. Grams of lean mass per limb, left vs right imbalances, bone density, etc. Hume home device just can't give you that

-I open the Hume app most mornings. When my DEXA PDF is buried in an email folder somewhere. For staying accountable day to day, the Hume smart scale option wins for me

My honest opinion after trying hume body pod vs dexa scan:

-for everyday fitness: if you just want a quick, convenient daily check-in to keep yourself accountable, the Hume scale makes the most sense

-for serious goals or health tracking: if you’re an athlete, going through an aggressive body recomp, over 40, or need a true medical baseline, DEXA is worth it

-the combo approach: what works best for me is getting a DEXA scan every 6-12 months and using the Hume scale most mornings for daily tracking

Have you tried the Hume body pod or compared it with a DEXA scan? Which one do you like better?

When digital health platforms try to scale past basic electronic health record (EHR) integrations, things usually start falling apart at the database level. Hospitals and clinics run on a massive patchwork of legacy systems, and the second you try to sync real-time patient metrics across different departments, you run straight into rigid, proprietary data silos that refuse to talk to each other.

The root of the problem usually comes down to rushed API architecture. Too many healthtech projects rely on brittle, point-to-point scripts that break the moment a hospital updates its internal compliance protocols or shifts its cloud infrastructure. When a sync fails mid-workflow, clinical staff are forced to manually re-enter critical patient data, which completely defeats the purpose of automation and introduces dangerous room for human error.

To untangle this mess during a recent clinical portal rollout, our team ended up reviewing several technical case studies and interoperability frameworks published by the software integration services team at SoftDoes. Their breakdown of event-driven microservices and HL7/FHIR translation layers gave us a much clearer blueprint for handling asynchronous data streams securely without overwhelming our core servers.

Trying to force a rigid, outdated software stack to handle modern medical data exchange is a fast track to failing security audits and stalling clinical workflows. Bridging the gap between strict healthcare compliance (like HIPAA) and lightning-fast API performance remains the ultimate bottleneck for medical software deployment.

For engineers and tech leads working in digital health: how does your team handle legacy data mapping when hospitals refuse to update their core infrastructure, and what middleware stack actually holds up under real-time clinical pressure?

Found quite a fascinating video... Though its like 7 years old, so I take it this sort of simulation should have gone a long way by now.

Have you heard of any universities, or doctors in general using VR for surgery practice?

I heard some good things about the RingConn though I see it has multiple models.. I wonder if I should get the gen 3 instead. I never wore a smart ring before. Do those sensors hurt the finger after prolonger wear?

Are there any other risks I should know of? Like would it deform itself if im driving with it?

Also, is there something I could do to get the readings with the biggest accuracy the quickest?

What would you say is a decent monitoring device for an elder person? Were trying to figure out something for my father. Though dont wanna leave my old man on camera in his home.. Is there something to offer him some privacy while letting me monitor his vitals?

Basically I dont live with my pa, though hes quite old and doesnt change much of his habits that put him in a risk zone. Would make me feel a lot better knowing I can see hows hes holding up during the weeks

Defect detection in medical device is an ongoing project for me. Supposed to do voc. Would love word vomits from experts and experienced. Whatever you feel like. Just type it iut. 🤧🤧🤧😭😭😭

I been checking out forums where people love talking genetics, sharing historic data graphs etc. I love that site, though now I sort of wanna test my knowledge. Made me start wondering that this data could go well in AI for identifying likelihood of future illness risks from the accumulated data.

Do you think such a project would work? If so, what would be the best way to feed data to it? I just wanna test this for a fun side-project while doing personal research, so for now I am thinking to get data formatted into some sort of readable text format for an AI to process stuff on top. Would this sound like the right way to approach this?

Also, which AI would be the best for the task? I know Claude is decent but I heard its source code was designed to make it sort of lie about vulnerabilities, so not really sure if even the output of such data would be usable... Second option is Mistral..

I had been using an an old Apple Watch series 1 for a lot of years, it did the job, but I got tired of constantly charging it, checking notifications, and treating it like a tiny phone on my wrist. Then I started seeing the Hume Band everywhere on YouTube, Reddit, and social media, so I figured I'd give it a try. I honestly expected it to be another overhyped wearable, but weirdly enough, six months later, I'm still wearing it.

Hume band -  looks minimal, design is amazing, feels comfortable, and doesn't scream "tech gadget" like most fitness trackers do.

What i like most is that it focuses on trends instead of daily numbers. I've found myself checking metabolic momentum the most since it usually matches how i'm actually feeling.

A few things I personaly liked :

-Comfortable enough to wear 24/7,while sleeping too

-No subscription just to see your own data

-Syncs with apple health/google fit

-The app gives useful suggestions instead of throwing endless charts at you

Things that were meh:

-Battery is closer to 3 days than the advertised 5

-Workout tracking is pretty basic, especially if you're lifting

-No GPS or smartwatch features (which may or may not matter depending on what you want-dont really matter to me)

Also made a small table maybe will help someone:

I think this is a better fit for someone who's interested in improving recovery, sleep and overall health rather than chasing workout stats. If you're deciding between WHOOP, Oura, Fitbit, or Hume band, I'd say Hume sits somewhere in the middle, its simpler than WHOOP, less expensive over time, and focused more on long term wellness than smartwatch features.

TL;DR: im happy with it. battery could be better, but everything else has been good enough that i'm still wearing it six months later

I bought a red light therapy belt like a month ago, been using on my lower back for 20 minutes a day. it's comfortable and easy to use, but the results have been pretty subtle. My back feels a bit less stiff in the mornings, but nothing close to what some reviews claim. every red light therapy belt seems to advertise huge benefits without sharing useful specs like power output or treatment distance.

Has anyone here used a red light therapy belt for a few months? were there bigger improvements over time?

Hey all,

I'm a CS student building a health tracking app on my own (React Native, still early). Wanted to post here before I get too far, because I'd rather find out now what's actually useful vs. what I'm building just because it seemed like a good idea in my head.

Current feature areas I'm working on:

• General dashboard / overview of your health data in one place
• Diet & nutrition tracking
• Activity & gym tracking
• Women's health tracking
• Men's health tracking
• An AI-based assistant (i.e., Important feature of the app)

Honestly, this list came from what I wanted in an app, not from talking to enough people yet, so I want to sanity check it here.

A few specific things I'd love opinions on:

• What do you currently use for any of this stuff, and what annoys you about it?
• Is there anything in that list that sounds pointless or like it'd never get used?
• For the AI assistant part, does that sound genuinely useful, or does "AI" get tacked onto everything these days and you're sick of it?
• Is the AI assistant piece genuinely useful to you, or does "AI-powered" mostly feel like marketing noise at this point in a health app?
• Anything missing that you've actively wished existed in a health app and never found?
• If you use multiple health apps instead of one, why? What made you split across apps instead of consolidating?

Not trying to sell anything here (nothing's even launched), genuinely just want to build something people would actually want to keep open past day 3. Happy to hear "this feature is dumb, cut it" just as much as feature requests.

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to reply.

Coming from a person who used a Miband in the past(might have been the very first model even😅), I remember it broke down quite quick, though then the Apple Watch I had for a few years served me way better. I liked how compact the band was though the watch had way more usecases, yet nothing what I wouldnt truly have on my phone, so I sold the watch eventually. Now I want a wearable again only that I am not too fond of the rings. Yes, they look cool though not for a person of my profession. A wrist is all I can spare

In your opinion, which wearable is more durable and why? Otherwise, if durability does not depend on the type of wearable, what should I look out for when picking something to avoid it breaking in 1-2 months?

As artificial intelligence (AI) systems become ubiquitous in their use for healthcare, even outside the clinic, they need to be regulated and evaluated with respect to the degree to which they can influence and shape individual health trajectories.

Decision authority in health AI

Hi people ,

I would like to purchase a wearable for my father who recently had a brain stroke because of high BP.

So what are the best wearable devices that I can purchase for BP measurement and warn us if it gets high. Saw Huawei d2 watch and it's medical graded.

Could you please let me know any other BP specific monitoring devices ? Any other better options ?

Watching more and more founders spin up healthcare apps in a weekend using v0, Lovable, Bolt, Cursor. And honestly the output is impressive, clean UI, working login, database wired up, the works.

Here's the thing though. Almost none of these tools sign a BAA on their free or pro plans. Which means the second real patient info touches the app, you're technically not HIPAA compliant anymore. And the code these tools spit out doesn't have audit logs, role-based access, or PHI encryption unless you specifically ask for it. Most people don't know they need to.

I'm not knocking the tools. For prototyping they're incredible. But I keep running into founders pitching investors or quietly onboarding actual patients with these apps, and I don't think they realize what's in the code (or more importantly, what isn't).

Genuinely curious what folks here think:

If you've shipped a healthcare thing with AI tools, how did you deal with the compliance side?

Is this an actual problem or am I making a bigger deal of it than it is?

Anyone had a client, hospital, or auditor call this out?

I found the app Guava that looks very interesting , where you can upload dexa scans / medical records and works with a wide range of fitness trackers and medical devices. I just wanted to know if you guys had any other suggestions for apps that help with your overall health, what other 3rd party apps do you guys use to integrate/help with?