Jane Osmond

Web-based self-management for young cancer survivors: consideration of user requirements and barriers to implementation

PurposeAs the population of young cancer survivors increases, there is a need to develop alternative ways of providing post-treatment support. Online systems potentially offer self-management and e-learning support following cancer treatment. This research aims to explore the self-management support needs of teenage and young adult cancer survivors and consider whether those needs can be met through a web-based self-management resource.MethodsA mixed methods approach was adopted including an online survey (n = 24), focus groups and interviews with teenage and young adult cancer survivors (n = 7) and interviews with parents of survivors (n = 6), information technology specialists (n = 8) and clinical, nursing and social work professionals (n = 11).ResultsAll stakeholders were supportive of web-based self-management to meet information and support needs that would supplement continued direct interaction with clinical staff. Barriers to implementation were identified in terms of risks to young people, governance issues and the challenges of providing a long-term service.ConclusionComputer access and use amongst teenagers and young adults is commonplace, and there is an expectation that self-management needs will be met at least partially online in the future. There is a desire for online social support through peer interaction as well personal developmental and clinical management. These elements may need to be run through different systems to cater for governance requirements.Implications for Cancer SurvivorsAn online self-management system could provide support at a number of different levels. The barriers to implementation should be addressed, to ensure that survivors can be supported in this way in the future.

‘All in all it is just a judgement call’: issues surrounding sexual consent in young people’s heterosexual encounters

ABSTRACT In the UK, there has been growing concern about young people’s understanding of sexual consent, with the views of young people themselves often lost in academic and educational policy debates. However, the focus on high rates of sexual violence has meant a lack of attention on the everyday negotiation of consensual heterosexual activity, leading to assumptions being made regarding young people’s lack of understanding of sexual consent. This paper emerges from a wider study of over 500 young people which sought to uncover their understanding of the issues. Drawing on data from workshops and the open text responses to an on-line survey the findings presented in this paper show that the majority of heterosexual young people understood the complexity of sexual consent as an embodied process, which can be difficult to define, talk about or practice uniformly. This complex understanding, in which sexual consent is a continuum rather than a dichotomy, has implications for sexual education initiatives. We argue that it is only by providing a closer understanding of how – within consensual sexual activities – young people understand and enact sexual consent through a range of embodied communication strategies that education surrounding sexual assault will become meaningful.

Empathy, Design and Human Factors

With rapid changes to inclusivity, accessibility, technology and the global economy, there is a need to appreciate and understand the way in which real people actually engage and interact with products, systems and services. Designers need to go beyond the merely functional. To do this they need to develop deeper understanding of users, which goes beyond mere categorization of user types and characteristics. They need to have the ability and confidence to try new ways of finding information and gaining ‘authentic experiences.’ Empathy has been recognized as a key skill by practicing designers. This paper introduces empathy, shows why it is important, and provides evidence for a greater need of empathy during design and research activities. The paper is built around two case studies from our work on design for older user, which illustrate the need for more empathy in codesign activities and insights students gather using experience prototypes.

Exploring the need for, and feasibility of, a web-based self-management resource for teenage and young adult cancer survivors in the UK

The growth in social networking sites and online forums make the internet a potential platform to be considered for the provision of self-management and e-learning support to young people following cancer treatment. However, the feasibility and potential barriers to this as a post treatment option should be considered. A mixed methods approach was adopted that included an online survey, focus groups and interviews with cancer survivors, their parents, and information technology, clinical and social work professionals to consider the potential of a web-based self-management resource. Barriers were identified to the delivery of care using this method. Developing such a self-management system requires close working between IT and clinical staff, alongside patient representation and usability expertise. As computer access and use amongst this group is commonplace, there is an expectation that self-management needs will be met at least partially in this way in the future.