Strengthened by the power of Artificial Intelligence and knowledge of women’s health, Ovum is set to change the face of women’s health all over the world. Ovum will pioneer Australia’s first-ever longitudinal AI women’s data set with the aim of closing the gender health gap and transforming how women experience healthcare.
Designed and created by Dr. Ariella Heffernan-Marks, Ovum AI is the first-ever women’s holistic healthcare AI app, co-designed by women. More than 3.3 million Australian women use different apps for their healthcare purposes. But Ovum AI is going to be the first holistic app to be launched for women’s healthcare. Ovum is an app for every woman at any phase of their life.
CEO and founder Dr Heffernan-Marks said, “I’m so delighted to reach this milestone in our journey at Ovum and for women’s health in Australia. One in two women navigate a chronic health issue in Australia and by leveraging the power of AI, our bespoke personal health assistant works to understand and empower women with resources and confidence to manage their health over their lifetime. Women’s health has systemically been underfunded and under-represented, and with women being under or misdiagnosed, my vision is to create an accessible resource that is designed with women, for women. I have witnessed firsthand the discrimination and overlooking the healthcare system does when it comes to women’s gender, age, sexuality, disability, migration status, and especially income as we face a cost-of-living crisis. This was a driving force behind the development of Ovum, to create a more even playing field. Ovum integrates and stores blood tests, imaging reports, letters, and referrals and has an interactive function for women to ask questions and track any health issues. This extensive record keeping is essential when it comes to complex or chronic health conditions where it can take five years for women to be diagnosed with a general health condition and between 7 and 12 years to reach a diagnosis of endometriosis. Existing AI can perpetuate bias in healthcare outcomes for women. Ensuring that our AI is women-centric and draws from a diverse dataset is essential to its effectiveness and the impact it will have on our users. Privacy and security are a key priority for us, with users not being required to provide identifiable personal details. Maintaining the trust and integrity of Ovum is essential and that can only happen when people know their data is being protected with sophisticated technology and protections in place,”
Ovum is backed by a reputable Board that includes Associate Professor Susan Evans, Gynecologist and Pain physician as well as the co-founder of the Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia, Associate Professor Amanda Henry Obstetrician and Gynecologist at UNSW and St George Hospital, and Senior Research Fellow at the George Institute for Global Health, and Andy Timms, Managing Director of Nakatomi.
Dr Heffernan-Marks is calling for women to sign up to test Ovum to be a part of the pilot in training the AI.
“Testing and receiving feedback from women is a huge priority for us. Every question, story, and concern is valid, and this pilot phase is to ensure that women are empowered, taken seriously, and heard. I plan on supporting and working with women on this journey to contribute to better health outcomes for women across Australia,” Dr Heffernan-Marks said.