The benefits of involving young patients in service development
Sam Smith Teenage Cancer Trust nurse consultant at the young oncology unit, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester
Lorraine Case Teenage Cancer Trust youth support co-ordinator at the young oncology unit, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester
Sam Smith and Lorraine Case describe the success of an education campaign, led by service users, to tell teenagers and young adults about the symptoms of cancer
The NHS Cancer Plan (Department of Health 2000) advocated patient user groups as a means of patient and public involvement in health services and service development. This article describes a cancer education project developed by, and for, teenage and young adult (TYA) patients and led by NHS staff. The group has initiated numerous projects to raise awareness of TYA cancer. Many group members reported delayed diagnosis, so one project focused on raising awareness of the signs of cancer in this age group. The Sometimes It’s Cancer project illustrates how a collaborative approach between healthcare professionals and a patient group can influence service development.
Cancer Nursing Practice.
10, 3, 26-29.
doi: 10.7748/cnp2011.04.10.3.26.c8438
Want to read more?
Already have access? Log in
or
3-month trial offer for £5.25/month
Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
- Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
- RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
- NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
- Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
- A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe
Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days.
Buy now
Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more
