Royal Marsden develops wellbeing app with Careology

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust has partnered with Careology to develop an app to support young people’s emotional wellbeing during cancer treatment.

The app is funded by The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and provides access to content specifically for teenagers and young adults.

The content was developed jointly by patients aged 16-24 and their clinicians. Representatives from The Royal Marsden’s Teen and Young Adult (TYA) Youth Forum were paired with a clinician to ensure the information was engaging for the audience and factually correct.

A number of topics were identified as most important for young people to inform the content. Users of the app can access helpful information on symptom management, fatigue, body image, food and nutrition, and mental health support specifically focused on anxiety.

Careology’s cancer treatment app for patients has been selected by the Youth Forum based on a bid from The Royal Marsden.

In addition to targeted information, the app also includes symptom tracking features that allow young people to record the symptoms and feelings they are experiencing. Personalized and age-specific content is then delivered through the app, including peer-to-peer advice, tips, recipes and articles.

Emma Thistlethwayte, Adolescent and Young Adult Lead Nurse at The Royal Marsden, said: “Involving the patient voice has been very important to us and the tools and resources in the app will support patients to contribute to their own emotional wellbeing and overall health. .”

Careology plans to share the app’s content with other hospitals that want to help TYA cancer patients.

Paul Landau, CEO of Careology, added: “Going through cancer is incredibly difficult at any age, but when you’re young and missing out on school or social activities, it’s especially difficult.

“It was great to be able to design and develop the app to specifically suit the patient population at The Royal Marsden. We want every young adult who uses the Careology app to feel more informed and empowered to access digital support when and where they need it.”

A similar partnership between Help for Heroes and Kooth last November saw children and young adults from the armed forces community access online mental health support.