2021 Team
Genesis
Pre-eclampsia is considered one of the most preventable causes of maternal deaths but is responsible for approximately 20% of maternal deaths. Of that 20%, African American mothers are considered an at-risk group as the rates among the races are largely disproportionate and just being African American is considered a risk-factor. There are some factors that have defined this risk factor: lack of access to maternal care, low quality of maternal care, and not being able to recognize the symptoms and precursors for pre-eclampsia. The field of consumer health informatics enables patients and their families to be partners with physicians and specialists when it comes to noticing pre-eclampsia, diagnosing pre-eclampsia, and living with pre-eclampsia. Genesis, a mobile application with associated health devices dedicated to this cause will allow for better management of all stages of eclampsia (e.g. pre-eclampsia, moderate, severe, eclampsia) and many other maternal conditions. With this assistance, the disproportionate pre-eclampsia mortality rates can be reduced, premature births can be limited, and there can be lower maternal mortality rates altogether.
Genesis is completely original because users have the ability to track their pregnancy while simultaneously monitoring their maternal health. The health of the pregnant mother is typically overlooked as the wellbeing of the baby often supersedes it. Genesis wants to eliminate the stigma of choosing mother or baby and embrace the health and well-being of both. This will be done with a mobile app and corresponding tools (e.g. blood pressure monitor, edema monitor) to help identify and monitor risk factors that are applicable to all stages of pre- eclampsia. To address the disproportionate rates, Genesis will practice Inclusivity. African American mothers have the highest rates across all races, but even race can be broken down into more subpopulations (e.g. race, education, age, socioeconomic status, disability). Inclusivity is something that previous approaches have had trouble with as minorities are typically neglected when it comes to graphics, tips, access, etc.
Team Lead
Latrice Jones
Affiliation
Florida International University
Lead Mentors
Martha Gray
Petra Krauledat
Review Materials
