Hanghøj S, Boisen KA, Hjerming M, Pappot H. Adolescents’ and young adults’ experiences of a prototype cancer smartphone app. DIGITAL HEALTH. January 2021. doi:10.1177/2055207621997258
Researchers evaluated the usefulness of a cancer smartphone app among adolescent and young adult cancer patients. Twenty cancer patients aged 16-29 years old were recruited and provided a prototype app. The Kræftværket app was co-created by health professionals and eHealth app developers. The app is based on a youth center (called Kræftværket) with a common room and wards for cancer patients aged 15-29 in the Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark. The aim of the app is to provide the experience of Kræftværket by bringing the in-person community into a virtual space. The app consists of a symptom and activity tracking diary and an information bank with videos, links, and Youtube channel specific for adolescent and young adult cancer patients. There is also a community forum and messaging function. Participants installed the app for a 6-week period and participated in focus group interviews at the end of this period to reflect on their experiences and evaluate the features and functions of the app. Participants were satisfied with the app as an everyday tool. A shared concern was that although the app was meant to address the continuum of cancer experience, it was considered by participants to be most relevant at disease onset. There were also safety concerns expressed related to anonymity, safe communication, and tracking statistics. Participants indicated that the app increased a feeling of normalcy and was feasible to integrate into everyday life. Feedback will be incorporated into a final version of the app; future research needs to investigate usability of the app on a larger scale throughout the cancer journey from diagnosis to treatment and recovery.