Cancer Advisor

Redkite discovered a problem

Redkite has been helping kids and young people manage the difficulties of cancer for over 30 years. From financial assistance, to counseling and bereavement support, Redkite has been there for kids across Australia. But, through their work with families and young patients, Redkite discovered a problem.

Patients working through a cancer diagnosis need answers. They want a clear picture of treatment options. And they want to know what the journey will look like. Naturally, most patients and families take their search for answers online. Unfortunately, much of the cancer information online is simply inaccurate or unreliable – leaving those affected by cancer feeling as though there’s little hope. With useful, actionable information on cancer in short supply online, Redkite decided to do something about it.

Trusted information

Families dealing with cancer are already going through so much. The team at Redkite felt strongly that being able to find accurate, reliable information should not be as difficult as it is. This led the Redkite team to question how they could better supply trusted information and create a more supportive experience for those affected by cancer.

But, rather than simply fill their own already content-rich website with even more information, Redkite decided to build a completely new one-stop online platform of accessible, trusted & relevant information to help people better navigate the cancer journey. If families and individuals could easily access an online community, obtain reliable, trusted information, and connect with others facing the same struggles, dealing with cancer would be that much more manageable.

This is when Cancer Advisor was born.

TripAdvisor for cancer info

Cancer Advisor is an innovative web app that’s funded and moderated by the folks at Redkite. It caters to families facing the challenges of cancer.

Families and Cancer Advisor can face cancer together through the platform, which provides a simple process for finding trusted information and resources according to cancer type and the stage of the journey patients are in. As with all sensitive issues, Cancer Advisor carefully protects user data and information that is shared with the community on the website.

Planning it all out

Throughout this project, our paramount goals were–making patient’s lives easier & fostering a community for those affected by cancer.

With so many cancer types and treatment options out there, finding cancer information can be tough. We worked closely with the Redkite team to clearly define the different audiences that might visit Cancer Advisor. Based on those findings, we mapped out user journeys for every potential visitor, tagging information that would be relevant to them.

Thorough in-depth research and detailed user feedback from the Redkite community we found that cancer patients and families prefer guided information. So, we designed Cancer Advisor around the following needs:

• Stage of the cancer journey stage user is in
• Specific cancer type
• Relevant themes – like nutrition, fertility, AYA, practical tips, and others
• Content created by families and healthcare professionals
• Content filtered by ratings (e.g. 5 star, 4 star content, etc.), most commented & most views.

Search & navigation

Search and navigation are a vital component of any web-based platform. Along with categorising content based on treatment stage and cancer type, we also included a search bar to help those looking at specific topics find them more quickly. The search bar also provides helpful suggestions based on the terms being typed in.

Contextualised content

We simplified the registration process so users can quickly register with their Facebook or Google accounts. Users can also create an account with their email address and a password. Once they’ve registered, users can then choose to receive email updates. New users then pass through a series of questions designed to gain a better understanding of their unique situation. Answering these questions honestly will help users receive more contextualised content through the Cancer Advisor platform.

Real user data

Rather than relying on assumptions or less than relevant user data, we tested Cancer Advisor with real users–the sort of people who will actually use the platform. We had various users and conducted a series of interviews with cancer patients, families affected by cancer and Redkite support workers. We carried out this MVP in sprints and as such, we were able to involve real users at the start and end of each sprint to define and refine the user experience of the online platform. Since its release, we have continually monitored visitor behavior and interactions, to get a better idea of how users actually use the platform. Monitoring heat maps, analytics, and user feedback have given us a clear path for continually optimizing user experience.

What’s next?

With more users arriving and more content being added all the time, Cancer Advisor has proven to be an invaluable resource to families facing cancer. Cancer Advisor allows users to draw from a large database of health care advice, verified user generated content and industry expert opinion. The TripAdvisor like features guide users through information that is both relevant and useful to their stage in the cancer journey. Cancer Advisor was created with a minimum viable product mindset. Rather than waiting until the product was completely refined, it was launched with its core functionality in place. And, has been built upon and refined where needed. By employing an agile approach, we were able to get this project off the ground and begin reaching people quickly.

Agile approach

We continue to work with the Redkite team to refine and add additional features to the platform based on real user feedback. With Cancer Advisor, Redkite has created maximum value for their customers. But, rather than simply enhancing the content on their own website, they’ve made the decision to create a platform which helps people navigate the cancer journey. If you’re looking to provide real value for your customers or supporters, first start with getting an in-depth understanding of your audience to then be able to create the right foundation to build a user experience which provides value through user-friendly navigation and rich, engaging content.