Understanding and Utilizing the Unmet Needs of Teenagers and Young Adults with Cancer to Determine Priorities for Service Development: The Macmillan On Target Programme

Purpose: A systematic attempt to identify and address unmet needs among patients in a large regional teenagers and young adults (TYA) cancer service in the United Kingdom, including perspectives obtained from patients themselves, their families/supporters, and professionals. Methods: Questionnaires, focus groups, and interviews were undertaken with the following: patients (diagnosed ≥16 years, and aged 16–24 years at the time of study)—participation was 42 for questionnaire, 7 for focus group, and 6 for interview; family members/others in patients' lives (“networkers”) (participation: 28, 0, and 4); and professionals (participation: 54, 0, and 97). Requirement management methodology was used to specify components for potential service interventions, which were then scored and prioritized. Co-creation was utilized to incorporate a deeper understanding of patient experience. Results: 42/108(39%) patients, 28/177(24%) networkers, and 122/322(38%) professionals participated. For patients, seven themes that “m...