Katie’s Notebook: Feb 6, 2025
Greetings!
We made it through 2,857 days of January! North Carolina rewarded us with a day that hit the 70s and my family took advantage of the nice weather by meeting some friends for an alfresco dinner at a local brewery. I’ve been working on my bingo card for 2025 and there are still some open spaces. I think I need to add “more spontaneous gatherings with friends” to a square. These little moments spark so much delight and I recently read that doing nothing with your favorite people is really, really good for you. I get so happy when friends reach out to do something with no pressure. I’m trying to remember to ping people that live near my favorite coffee shop to co-work, or others to meet me when I am in their area. The name of the game is “it’s great if it happens, if it doesn’t we will try again another time.” Community matters!
I’ll be at VIVE at in a few weeks and would love to see people IRL! I’m attending via a media pass and will be looking “for good news in digital health” stories to share. Feel free to reply to this email with any tips! (PS- someone shared a spreadsheet with side events happening at VIVE complete with registration links. GOLD!)
Let’s jump into the five:
Funding: Egal, a company that created menstrual pads on a roll for public places, recently raised a $4 million Series A investment round. The influx of funding is to expand operations into AIRPORTS (love this) in the United States and United Kingdom. Aunt Flow is another innovator in the space. They have dispensers for pads and tampons for public places (I’ve seen them in libraries and office buildings.) Love any and all efforts to both reduce the period tax (women shelling out cash for menstrual products) and increase access. I have to say I am particularly intrigued by Egal because the pad on a roll design has such a small footprint and could be inside a stall!
Also, shoutout to one of my favorite former clients, Simplifed, on their $4 million raise!
Fascinating: A Boston Magazine Op-Ed speaks to the lack of education and understanding around menopause and the years prior, with the click bait title of Help! I’m Perimenopausal and My Instagram Feed Won’t Stop Selling Me Solutions. The author brings up an important point — that almost anyone can sell vitamins or supplements with little to no regulation. I am working on a manifesto for better transparency and evidence databases for women’s health and one of the key points I hit on is that most women make purchasing decisions based upon recommendations from friends or powerful marketing that just won’t quit. Women deserve better.
Findings: New Study Validates Oura Ring’s Ovulation Detection Algorithm I’m not shy about sharing my admiration for Oura. I think that out of all of the wearable companies they are the most dedicated to advancing our understanding of women’s health. One of the key findings was, “The device’s physiology-based method detected 96.4% of ovulations with an average error of 1.26 days. This significantly outperformed the traditional calendar method, which showed an average error of 3.44 days.” What is particularly impressive is how well Oura performed with irregular cycles, “For users with irregular cycles, 82% of Oura Ring’s estimations were within two days of the reference ovulation date, compared to just 32.5% for the calendar method.” As more and more women are eschewing hormonal birth control methods, this research positions Oura to be a new digital birth control option (they already sync with Natural Cycles.) Just don’t forget to think the acceptable risk level for an unplanned pregnancy.
F*CK!!/ Federal Government: It’s been hard to keep on top of all of the chaos being released by the White House (and Elon Musk.) This Fierce Healthcare article, What Trump's busy first week means for healthcare: AI policy shifts, HHS comms blackout, patient protections and more offers a good summary. Like many of you, I am freaking out, but I am also looking for ways to not just wallow in sadness but be action-oriented. I have been using the Five Calls app which provides contact information for your senators and congress people and scripts related to issues you want heard. Some good news, ACOG Will Host Contraceptive Guidance for Ob/Gyns Amid CDC Website Purge.
FemTech: Women of Wearables released a list of 200 Trailblazing Leaders in Women’s Health and FemTech. Safe to say that all of these women would be an ideal client collaborator!
What I’ve Been Writing
When digital health apps fail to talk to EHRs, do they really make a difference?, Digital Health Insights
Digital health can improve health outcomes in maternity care deserts, Digital Health Insights
Fun Finds
I typically wear my leggings into the ground. My favorite ones from Aerie were discontinued and I am unwilling to spend what Lululemon demands, so I have been looking for quality alternatives. I recently bought the Ultra Form High Rise Leggings from Quince and am wearing them as I type this! They are really smooth with the right balance of snug and comfy. If you are between sizes I’d go up. Also love the different inseam lengths so 5’4” me could pick one that would be the perfect 7/8 length. Pair them with my favorite $15 t-shirt (I have it in 3 colors!)
Movies: On a recent flight I watched The Idea of You starring Anne Hathaway as a 40 year old woman who falls in love with a pop star in his 20s. For a romantic comedy it hit all the right notes with a mix of fun, humor, realistic points of crisis, and a happy ending. I can’t stop thinking about it. We watched IF as a family, a tale of a 12 year old girl who rediscovers imaginary friends and childhood magic while her parents go through health crises. I may have wiped a tear away at the end.
That’s a wrap on this issue. Stay strong, remember your value, and care for others.
Katie
Note: As a solopreneur I use affiliate links for some of the products I believe in as a means of diversifying my income. When you buy something I have linked to, I may receive a small commission from that company at no cost to you.
