Rebound - Interview with the developer of a fantastic app

Did you have any prior development or coding experience?

No, I have not. It has been an exciting experience to be involved down to the finest and smallest detail in the process. The programmers I worked with comes from a developer team called China soft, and I have enjoyed to learn every step it takes to develop the Rebound App, from the planning, evaluating and reviewing the wireframes before approval, to being close up in the process of design, beta version, backend administration and going through the hundreds of details it requires, if I wanted the app, I intended to develop.

What was the most challenging aspect of developing mobile app?

In our case, it was a challenge to develop a user defined medicine step-down program, that could meet all possible tapering processes, that our target group needs, in order to deliver an unique personalized step-down and progression tool, that is to be defined by the user and their doctor at all time. At the same time as having planned lovwer doses with specific and individual timelines apart, tha app also have the ability to track history (day/weeks/months) showing in graphs and diagrams, dosage amount vs. graphs and diagrams, of their symptoms levels and wellbeing state in the timeline chosen. This was absolutely the most challenging aspect of the app. But we solved it, and I look forward to the feedback from users, when finally launched and in use.

_{Silvia Meyer}

Social Entrepreneur from Denmark. Experienced organisational developer and visionary leadership with history of working with development of sustanable NGO projects related to substance dependency & addiction. Skilled in Project-development, Project designing, Project executing, Strategic Planning and Entrepreneurship.

Name a few of your favorite apps and reason you love them.

Lifesum, I love the graphics, its user-friendly, easy to manage and have exceptional details, that I love about the app. I love tracking apps ? Moves – The most simple and yet astonishing fulfilling app, giving me the information of my daily movement. Love the simplicity and the possibility of tracking the history of my movements during the week. I guess I a fan of tracking apps ?

How long have you been working on this app?

6 months.

What need of the user did you have in mind when developing this app?

It is very hard to simplify with a few sentences, but with 22 years of experience, personally and professionally, within the field of high risk and addictive drugs and medicine dependency, I know that this is an app that is highly needed for everyone, who has to go through withdrawals from medications, that are very hard to taper off after a long term usage. Many millions across the world are currently using prescribed medication with high addictive components and side effects. The amount is increasing and concerning. Millions are on these medications every day, as well as millions start on them as well every day, and a huge part of those individuals, will at some point withdraw after intended treatment. A large part will have a prolonged period with the prescribed medication - much longer than Health Institutions and highly acknowledged Organizations advises regarding painkillers (opiates) and benzodiazepines. Even antidepressants, that have an enormous amount of users. The way it works today and for decades, your doctor provides you with an mouthily advise or a protocol to follow, you will be sent home and to deal with the process, is a one man show. You are basically on your own, and many of course get through this hard period, that can last from weeks, months and for some years to withdraw. Many relapses, and continue using, not because of the reason they started with, but because of hard withdrawals and for many, a developed psychological and physical dependency. An increased epidemic of usage worldwide, is documented in the last decade, specifically people that have an on-going usage and develops addiction to the drugs they are prescribed. Addictions to prescriptive medicines are not uncommon, and many thousands of people, young and adults, are in the process of withdrawing this minute. Some succeed, many do not. The Rebound Project does not present a cure. This is not, nor will it be, the purpose of this innovation. Individuals who have become depended to prescription medicines, approach withdrawal in various ways. In all cases, withdrawal is a highly complex process that must consider personal needs. Therefore, is the team behind Rebound encouraging its target audience to use the app in collaboration with health professionals. The Rebound app comprises a step-down program with range of useful features. These features allow users to create personalized withdrawal programs in which they choose their current medicine(s) alongside their desired step-down dosages. Two key features of the app encourage users to track their symptoms and feelings of well-being. The former records daily symptom levels on scales of 1-10, whereas the latter asks fortnightly questions based on the WHO-5 well-being index. The interaction between lower medicine dosages, symptoms and well-being levels can be visualized in graphs. These can be shared with a user’s general practitioner or other health professionals. To offer support, we have created an online community for Rebound users. In this group, all users can share their experiences with the app.

In what way do you think your app is better than similar apps on the market? Please describe in detail what innovation you think you bring and what you are proud of in your app.

Rebound is the first digital progression tool designed and developed for individuals who are consuming high addictive prescribed medication and under tapering off the medicines – this is a groundbreaking approach to the worldwide challenge of drug misuse. This innovation draws on scientific research suggesting that treatments of medicine addicts must recognize physical, psychological and social aspects of withdrawal. It, furthermore, acknowledges that a lack of structure in interventions can inhibit recovery. The app resembles the layout of a diary that recognizes both physical and psychological aspects of withdrawal. While tracking progress can benefit the individual user, we also believe that such unique overviews of medicine dosages, symptoms and well-being, can give health professionals valuable insights into patients’ conditions. Besides the above, the team behind Rebound has extensive experience and knowledge about addiction and its drawbacks. To our knowledge, no app, with the same purpose, has ever been developed whilst drawing on such professional reliability.

What are your future plans and expected features of the coming new versions of this app?

We expect to listen to our users' feedback and further needs, that we will consider in the new versions. This could easily be language - or medicine group based support groups within the frame of the app. This we would do, when we reach the first 50.000 – 100.000 subscribers. In the new versions I would as well upgrade the interface graphic elements as graphs and diagrams having 3D effects, and probably develop several other features with options to register a “to do plan” under their tapering process, to ease their withdrawals, so they get reminded of, what they promised and “advised” themselves to do in each week, when setting the plan to start with. Example(To do list week 43): Exercise x2 days, Drink xxl. water x7 days, Visit a friend x1, Eat well, xx g. fruit x7, Supplements herbs or vitamins x7, Walk in the park x3, and whatever users know would benefit them, in a hard period. The app reminds and asks users in the evening if something is done or not. Users define every activity, when planning their step-down plan.

Assuming new users of your app are reading this page. What do you want to ask them to do (contact you about X, Share the app, etc.)?

As Rebound aims to ease the process of every person, tapering off prescription medicine, I would absolutely appreciate and encourage everyone that reads this to share the article and to feel free giving me feedback on www.rebound-solution.com. We all know at least one person in our closest network, that struggles with this matter, so it is a topic, that should concerns us all, in times where high risk medicine has never been more consumed, as it is on a global scale, for the last decade, and still rising. Feedback is of great value for us and we would enjoy receiving sign ups to the app from you all. The first 100.000 pre-launch subscribers gets full access to Rebound, and we look forward to kick of the future of Rebound off together, as a tool we hope will help millions in the future.