How to read Summaries and period comparison in Oveluni

After keeping records for a few weeks, most people ask the same question: so what are these records telling me? The Summaries tab in Oveluni brings your records together for the period you choose. In this guide we walk you step by step through reading Summaries, from choosing a period to comparing two periods side by side.

What does the Summaries tab show, and what doesn't it?

Summaries is one of Oveluni's five tabs: Today, Calendar, Records, Summaries and Profile. While Calendar shows you days one by one, Summaries gathers the same records across a period. That way you can look at questions like "how were my medication entries over the last month?" or "how did I rate my energy this month?" on a single screen.

Knowing what it doesn't show matters just as much. Summaries are not a health assessment. In the app's own words: These summaries reflect your records. They do not diagnose or predict future cycles. Everything you see on screen comes from the entries you made; the app adds no interpretation.

If you'd like to read a month day by day, our post on reading a month at a glance with the calendar view covers the Calendar side. Summaries give you the wider picture.

Choosing the period and categories

Before you start reading Summaries, decide which time range you're looking at. The right period depends on the question you're asking.

1. Open the Summaries tab. Tap Summaries in the tabs at the bottom of the screen.
2. Choose the period. Pick the last 7, 30 or 90 days, or set a start and end date to create your own range.
3. Filter by category. If you only want to look at medications, or only at the Daily check-in, use the category filter. You can reset the filter to go back to all records.
4. Apply the filter. When you apply your selection, every section on the screen updates to that period and those categories.

Short periods help you see the detail of recent days; long periods help you see the overall pattern. If you're curious about one busy week, 7 days makes sense; if you want to see whether a habit is sticking, 30 or 90 days says more.

As you change the period, you may notice the same records telling a different story. So don't get stuck on one view: look at the big picture with a wide period first, then narrow down to the week that caught your eye. While reading a period, try to remember what was going on in your life in those weeks too; the numbers only make sense with that context.

Medication use: taken, skipped, no record

If your Medications tracking area is on, Summaries show the medication log entries for the chosen period under three headings:

• Taken: Doses you marked as "taken" in an intake log entry.
• Skipped: Doses you deliberately logged as "skipped".
• No record: Times when a dose was expected according to the plan but no entry was made.

The point people mix up most is the "no record" count. As the app itself says, a missing entry only shows that there's no record; it doesn't mean the medicine wasn't taken. Maybe you took it but forgot to log it. If this number is high, the first things to look at are your logging habit and your reminder times.

The easiest way to lower the no record count is to add an Intake log entry from the Quick add menu as soon as the reminder arrives. Keep that habit up for a few weeks and the picture in Summaries will reflect your medication routine much more accurately. You can also add forgotten entries later; what matters is choosing the right time for when it actually happened.

Don't read this table like a report card. If you see you skipped a dose, don't decide on your own what to do; take any question about your medicine to your doctor or pharmacist.

The daily observation chart and recorded period lengths

If you keep Daily check-in entries, Summaries show a daily observation chart of how your mood and energy ratings were spread across the period. Days without a check-in stay blank on the chart; they aren't counted as zero or as "bad". In the app's words: Empty days stay empty. This isn't a health score, it's a summary of the records you've kept.

If you haven't started the Daily check-in yet, our guide to the Daily check-in in Oveluni shows you how to add your first entry in 30 seconds.

If the Cycle area is on in a female profile, Summaries also show the lengths of the periods you logged in the chosen range. These are calculated only from the start and end dates you entered. Only recorded history is shown; there are no fertility, ovulation or pregnancy predictions.

Period comparison: reading two equal periods side by side

Period comparison places two periods of equal length side by side. For example, you see a 30-day period together with another 30-day period. That way you can look at "what changed compared with last month?" using your own records.

A few things are worth keeping in mind while you read the comparison:

• If you kept fewer records in one period, the numbers may look different for that reason alone.
• Unusual days such as a trip, a busy work week or a holiday can set one period apart from another; logging them with a note makes the context easier to remember.
• The comparison can show a change but doesn't tell you why. Interpreting it together with your doctor is the right way.

MedlinePlus suggests writing down your symptoms and questions before you see your doctor. A change that catches your eye in the period comparison can be a good start for that list of questions. If you notice a change in your symptoms or mood that worries you, don't put off talking to your doctor.

From Summaries to your doctor's appointment

When you want to take what you see in Summaries to your doctor, you can use a PDF report instead of taking screenshots. The report covers 7, 30 or 90 days or a custom range; you choose which categories go in and check them in the preview. The "Include notes" option is off by default, so your personal notes don't go into the report unless you want them to.

For step-by-step instructions, see the guide to creating a PDF report in Oveluni and sharing it with your doctor. Your records are stored on this iPhone; there's no automatic cloud backup or analytics tracking. Oveluni is coming soon to the App Store.

Sources

1. MedlinePlus: Talking with your doctor