11 September 2012
Launch of New Social Network for Teenagers and Young People with Cancer in the South West
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, in
partnership with the Youth Cancer Trust and Teenage Cancer Trust,
and with support from the University of Bath has launched a new
social network for young people with cancer, aged 16-25 who live in
the South West.
Realshare is the first NHS independently run and monitored
professional social network for young cancer patients in the UK. It
has been created by professionals who work with young people with
cancer in partnership with some of those young people themselves.
The site includes: a social zone including status updates and
forums, useful links, and a game zone for light
relief.
Dr Adam Dangoor, consultant medical oncologist at the
Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre, said:
"The South West is a geographically large area and young
people with cancer may receive treatment or live a long way from
others in a similar situation. We hope that realshare will allow
members to chat with others in an informal and safe environment to
provide support to them during what might well be a difficult
time.
"Members may be at different points in their treatment
journey and have different diagnoses, but they are likely to have
insights and ideas that can help each other. The site already has
61 members."
Emily Thompson, 25, from Bristol, who was diagnosed with
breast cancer in 2011, says: "It's a small
community which means you are not inundated by lots of people's
views. You recognise the same names and it helps you feel more
confident about contributing.
'You can talk to people online and know that they are
local to the South West. If I share some tips, like about using
false eye lashes when you lose all your hair, I know that at some
stage I could meet that person face to face which makes it easier
to make that initial connection."
In 2010, Teenage Cancer Trust funded a research project at
the University of Bath - School of Management in collaboration with
Deidre Brunton Teenage Cancer Trust funded TYA Lead Nurse UH
Bristol to establish the social network in partnership with 15
young people with cancer. The project ended in June 2011 and
identified that the design and development of the site was what the
young people wanted and that there was a real need for an online
social network specific to young people with cancer, facilitated
and moderated by key staff involved in the care of young people
with cancer.
Dr Niki Panteli, a Reader in information systems from the
University of Bath who managed the project and evaluated the
development of realshare, said: "This is a
unique site for young people with cancer in the South West because
it's been designed with their input. We know from our evaluation
that they like it and it's something they need. It's different to
other social networking sites because people know that other
realshare users understand what they are going through and they
feel they can be more open about their feelings and
fears."
The Youth Cancer Trust has been involved with realshare by
providing the sponsorship of the branding, design and development
since its origination.
Brenda Clark, Founder of the Youth Cancer Trust,
says: "The Youth Cancer Trust is excited to work
on a project of this nature. People, especially young people,
communicate more and more these days with one another online.
Digital communication and social networking is something the Trust
feels is critical to help reduce the sense of isolation often felt
with a cancer diagnosis. YCT currently provides a physical
space for young cancer patients to be with one another for peer
support in Bournemouth so realshare supports this in an online
sense."
The launch of the site has been made possible thanks to
funding from the University of Bath's EPSRC (Engineering &
Physical Sciences Research Council) Knowledge Transfer Account and
sponsorship from the Youth Cancer Trust. www.realshare.co.uk
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