Ostique Connect – Peer-to-Peer Support Platform for the Ostomy Community
Overview
Ostique Connect was developed to provide a safe digital environment where people living with a stoma can connect with peers who share similar health experiences. Intelivita developed a mobile application and web-based administration system that enables users to create profiles, discover relevant community members, communicate through private messages, and participate in discussion forums while allowing administrators to manage users, content, and moderation through a centralized platform.
The Challenge
The project involved 5 primary challenges.
Emotional Isolation
Many ostomates struggle to find people who understand their experiences.
Meaningful Matching
Traditional demographic matching does not reflect health background or life stage.
User Safety
The platform required moderation tools to maintain respectful interactions.
Community Engagement
Users needed both private conversations and open discussion spaces.
Scalable Administration
The Ostique team required tools to manage users, content, advertisements, and moderation.
The Solutions
To overcome the challenges, six key solutions were developed and executed with precision.
Experience-Based Discovery
Developed a profile discovery system that introduces users based on shared health experiences and preferences.
Mutual Connection Workflow
Enabled private messaging only after both users express interest.
Detailed Profile Structure
Captured health background, stoma status, interests, and language preferences to support relevant matches.
Community Discussion Spaces
Introduced open forums where users share experiences and advice.
Centralized Administration
Built a web-based system for user moderation, content management, and analytics.
Advertising Management
Integrated non-intrusive advertisements to support platform sustainability.
Guided Onboarding
Users register through email or mobile number with OTP verification and secure password recovery.
Profile Creation
Users create structured profiles including age, location, condition status, and personal interests.
Preference-Based Discovery
Users define discovery preferences such as age range, location radius, and language.
Swipe-Based Matching
Users browse profiles and express interest through likes before initiating conversations.
Detailed User Profiles
Users view medical background, surgery stage, interests, and language before connecting.
Private Messaging
Matched users communicate through a private chat interface with reporting and blocking controls.
Community Forums
Users browse discussions and participate in community conversations.
Notifications
Users receive alerts for new matches, messages, and activity updates.
Blogs and Podcasts
Users access educational content including stories, medical insights, and expert discussions.
Admin Panel
Intelivita developed a web-based administration system that enables the Ostique team to manage users, moderate conversations, publish blogs and podcasts, manage advertisements, configure community categories, and monitor platform activity through analytics dashboards.
Technology Stack
The Result
Intelivita delivered Ostique Connect as a peer-to-peer support platform where ostomates can discover relevant community members, communicate privately, and participate in shared discussions. The system provides a structured digital environment that enables users to connect with others who understand their health experiences while allowing the Ostique team to manage community activity through a centralized platform.
