Q&A: Sameena Rahman, MD, on digital symptom tracking in PMOS

Patients with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) can wait up to a decade for a diagnosis as nonspecific symptoms go unrecognized. The updated terminology reframes PMOS as a multisystem endocrine and metabolic disorder rather than an isolated ovarian condition. Digital symptom-tracking tools can help bridge this diagnostic gap by converting subjective self-reports into objective, continuous data.

Sameena Rahman, MD, FACOG, MSCP, IF, a board-certified ob-gyn, founder of The GYN & Sexual Medicine Collective, and medical advisor for Flo Health, recently participated in an interview for PMOS Awareness Month. She described how patient-logged data on cycles, skin changes, mood, and metabolic indicators can shift clinical encounters from vague recollection to longitudinal data. She also urged colleagues to screen earlier for subtle metabolic red flags, cycle variations, and refractory dermatologic issues rather than waiting for classic presentations.

Related: PCOS to PMOS: A long-awaited change

Rahman compared PMOS to perimenopause as a cardiometabolic inflection point, calling for evaluation of cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity, and long-term metabolic risk from initial diagnosis. She shared counseling pearls centered on validation when explaining the new name, and discussed how Flo's Symptom Checker can give patients vocabulary for informed, collaborative conversations with physicians. Noting these tools do not replace clinical diagnosis, she cited Flo Health internal survey data in which 83% of diagnosed users who engaged with the tool said it helped facilitate conversations with their doctor.¹

What are some of the benefits of digital health tools for symptoms of PMOS and access to care overall?

Rahman: The road to a diagnosis for PMOS has historically been long and frustrating, often taking up to a decade as vague, hard-to-articulate symptoms are routinely dismissed. Digital symptom tracking tools serve as a critical bridge over this diagnostic gap by translating subjective, day-to-day self-reporting into objective, continuous data.

When patients use digital platforms to log their cycles, skin changes, mood shifts, and metabolic indicators, it drastically elevates the quality of the clinical encounter. It shifts our conversation in the exam room from vague recollections to actionable, longitudinal data. From a broader access perspective, digital health democratizes clinical education. Platforms like Flo Health extend access to evidence-based insights directly to patients’ smartphones, helping individuals who face geographic, financial, or systemic barriers to specialized care get into the health care ecosystem much earlier and far better prepared.

Amid PMOS Awareness Month, what would you like to highlight about the syndrome or call out for your ob-gyn colleagues and clinicians?

Rahman: This Awareness Month and beyond, I want to urge my colleagues to pay closer attention to subtle metabolic and endocrine markers earlier in a patient's care journey. Historically, diagnostic delays occurred because clinicians waited for classic, full-spectrum presentations (such as severe oligomenorrhea paired with overt hyperandrogenism) to manifest. We must actively screen for early metabolic red flags, subtle cycle variations, and refractory dermatological issues.

Also from Sameena Rahman, MD - The role “metabolic” plays in new PMOS name

Additionally, the transition to PMOS marks a vital evolution in our clinical mindset. The updated terminology accurately reframes this condition as a multi-systemic metabolic and endocrine disorder, rather than an isolated ovarian or gynecological issue. For clinicians, this is a clear call to evaluate cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity, and long-term metabolic risks right from initial diagnosis, rather than focusing solely on cycle regulation.

Much as perimenopause is a cardiometabolic process inflection point for women for earlier intervention and screening, we need to consider PMOS, not only the fertility consequences of this systemic inflammatory condition, but [also] the cardiometabolic [considerations] to screen, partner, and treat earlier. Heart disease is still the number one killer in women, and early intervention in these patients can make huge strides.

Do you have any clinical pearls for counseling patients on the new name? Can digital tools play a role in this for awareness purposes, better understanding of the syndrome, etc?

Rahman: When counseling patients on the shift to PMOS, I prioritize validation. The old label often created confusion, leading many patients to worry needlessly about ovarian cysts or feel that their systemic metabolic symptoms were being overlooked. I explain to my patients that the name “PMOS” reflects what clinical science now confirms: Their symptoms stem from a complex endocrine and metabolic pathway, not just an ovarian issue. Reframing the diagnosis in this way provides immense validation and shifts our treatment plan toward comprehensive lifestyle, hormonal, and metabolic wellness.

Because millions of patients turn to digital platforms long before they enter a clinic, platforms like Flo play a major role in normalizing updated terminology and explaining the multi-systemic nature of PMOS in accessible language. Features like Flo's Symptom Checker help contextualize a user's logged symptoms under this broader endocrine-metabolic umbrella, giving them the vocabulary and confidence needed to have an informed, collaborative discussion with their physician.

What else would you like to highlight regarding digital health and PMOS, or the condition overall this month?

Rahman: Although digital symptom-tracking tools are not a replacement for clinical diagnosis or medical advice, they are an unmatched resource for patient self-advocacy and early intervention. When patients utilize self-advocacy features to turn hard-to-articulate symptoms into clear data, they show up to appointments as active, informed partners in their care. In fact, user data from Flo Health demonstrates that 83% of diagnosed users who engaged with the PMOS Symptom Checker reported that it directly helped facilitate their doctor conversations.¹ It helps to give them vocabulary and language to improve their cultural health capital and overall improve their health care delivery.

As clinicians, leaning into technology (rather than resisting the data patients bring in on their phones) allows us to build stronger therapeutic alliances, reduce diagnostic delay, and deliver more proactive, personalized care for PMOS.

Reference

1. Flo Health. PMOS Symptom Checker Internal User Survey Data, September 2026. Accessed September 22, 2026