Experiences of Peer Communities in a Cancer Smartphone App Among Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer

Objectives: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer have identified connection to online communities of same-age peers to be essential for psycho-social support. In this study, the aim was to explore AYAs with cancers' and AYA cancer survivors' use of the Kr & UAELIG;ftv & UAELIG;rket cancer app's social forum and experiences of peer communities in the forum. Differences due to gender and treatment status were investigated.Data Sources: In all, 85 AYAs aged 15-29 were recruited: 46 on and 39 off cancer treatment. The use of the social forum was assessed by a questionnaire, which were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and telephone interviews were analyzed thematically by the Framework Method.Conclusion: Some AYAs assessed the social forum to be more valuable at time of diagnosis, while others experienced meaningful peer-support after cancer. Women were more active and diligent users than men. The following themes were found: 1) Common understanding of each other's challenges; 2) Other AYAs' stories increase the feeling of comfort but can also be difficult to accommodate; 3) A temporary and unwanted community; and 4) The interaction is personal but quickly stalls.Implications for Nursing Practice: The results are relevant to the development of AYA cancer apps, with a view to strengthening peer-to-peer relationships. Although the use of the Kr & UAELIG;ftv & UAELIG;rket app was temporary, it presented a meaningful community for AYAs with cancer. The community feeling reduced loneliness and increased the sense of togetherness. The app met AYAs' needs and wishes for peer-to-peer age-appropriate cancer support, which can be implemented and provided by nurses.& COPY; 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)