The Problem
Choosing the right antidepressant is overwhelming. There are dozens of options across multiple drug classes, each with different side effect profiles, efficacy characteristics, and interaction risks. Patients and clinicians lacked a tool that could rank options based on individual priorities rather than one-size-fits-all recommendations.
The Solution
MedCompare lets users select up to 5 health priorities (e.g., "minimal weight gain", "low sexual side effects", "fast onset") and dynamically ranks 14 medications using a weighted scoring system. Results are displayed as interactive radar charts showing how each medication performs across the user's chosen dimensions.
Architecture & Technical Decisions
- Scoring Engine: Custom weighted algorithm — each medication has scores across 27 dimensions, multiplied by user priority weights
- Data Model: 14 medications × 27 clinical dimensions = 378 data points, sourced from clinical literature
- Visualization: Radar charts (likely Chart.js or Recharts) for multi-dimensional comparison
- Frontend: React with interactive state management for real-time re-ranking as priorities change
- No Backend Needed: All computation happens client-side — no sensitive data leaves the browser