Endometriosis Australia has partnered with CHARLI to launch a menstrual and reproductive health monitoring app to diagnose and treat conditions such as endometriosis.
Associate Professor Anusch Yazdani, Medical Director of Endometriosis Australia and co-founder, said the CHARLI app was the solution to the inequalities in healthcare access and diagnostic support particularly affecting rural and remote populations, reducing the alarming delay from onset the first symptoms and diagnosis – six years.
“We know there are many Australians who live with symptoms of endometriosis for years that remain undiagnosed, particularly in rural and remote areas. CHARLI aims to address this problem by identifying abnormal patterns and encouraging women to talk to their doctor,” said Yazdani.
Developed by Australian medical and allied health experts with insights from consumers, the app uses secure AI technology to help Australians track and monitor menstruation, fertility, sexual health, pregnancy and perimenopause/menopause, as well as any pain or possible medical conditions how to detect endometriosis. The app is available to download free of charge from the Apple Store and Google Play for three months.
Samantha Costa, clinical nurse midwife and co-developer of the technology, said: “CHARLI is your health companion in your pocket and is here to tackle the shame, silence and stigma that still exists around women’s health-related symptoms. We are grateful to be working with Endometriosis Australia to support the one in seven Australians living with the disease, enabling quicker diagnosis and easier support.”
A research study by Costa, Yazdani and other researchers from Eve Health Australia in Brisbane was the inspiration and driving force behind the development of the app. The study, published in 2019, found that up to 70% of women starting fertility treatment use mobile cycle tracking apps. While fertility tracking apps ranked fourth in adult health downloads and second in adolescents, there was limited published information on app functionality and usage. Researchers examined over 300 apps and found that less than half of apps accurately predicted ovulation date (42.7%), less than 1 in 5 accurately predicted due date (17.1%), and integration with other health applications was only possible in 31.4% of the apps.
CHARLI.app identifies abnormal patterns using self-logged data as well as information sources from wearables such as Apple Watch and FitBit. Powered by data, the app encourages lifestyle change and alerts users to speak to their doctor about key reproductive conditions, including endometriosis, through user data-driven AI algorithms.
One of the app’s elements – CHARLI.clinic (virtual clinic) – connects users with designated real-world medical professionals, including family doctors, specialists and allied health providers such as consultants, physiotherapists and exercise physiologists. The virtual clinic also provides access to group support, including courses and webinars.
CHARLI.research, the final component of the app, allows users who wish to participate to sign up for third-party approved research projects. Monica Forlano, chair of Endometriosis Australia, said: “To provide better treatment options, we need to unlock important new information about endometriosis, and researchers simply cannot do this without the help and collaboration of people living with the disease.”