Designing and evaluating the acceptability of Realshare: An online support community for teenagers and young adults with cancer.
A participatory action approach was used to design and evaluate the acceptability of the Realshare online community. Pre and post-intervention focus groups were conducted and participants were asked to test out Realshare during two intervention periods: when a facilitator was present and when one was not. Focus group data and forum messages were thematically analysed. The themes identified related to participants' website design requirements, how they used the community and the evaluation of Realshare after having used it. Amendments were made to Realshare throughout the project. Realshare is available to young oncology patients in the South West of England.
University of the West of England, UK catrin.griffiths@uwe.ac.uk.
Catrin
C
Griffiths
University of Bath, UK.
Niki
N
Panteli
University Hospitals Bristol, UK.
Deirdre
D
Brunton
University of Edinburgh, UK.
Ben
B
Marder
University of the West of England, UK.
Heidi
H
Williamson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult
adolescence; cancer; online support; qualitative methods; youth