For anyone affected by childhood cancer, there is an award-winning online resource provided by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: Together https://together.StJude.org.
Together offers information about diseases, diagnosis, and treatment options, as well as supportive care resources and shared stories of hope, healing, and experience.
The website, launched in fall 2018, has won awards that include the Cancer Patient Education Network’s Excellence in Cancer Patient Education award, the ClearMark Award from the Center for Plain Language, and an eHealthcare Leadership award. The site was recognized for making complex and difficult information on childhood cancer approachable and easy for patients and their families to understand.
“When a child is diagnosed with cancer, it is overwhelming,” said St. Jude President and CEO James R. Downing, MD. “It is crucial that parents and patients have reliable and useful health information, educational resources, and the perspective of others who are affected by pediatric cancer.”
Together includes expert information, stories and experiences from families of childhood cancer patients, and practical suggestions from specialists. The site also offers resources that address a range of cancer experiences, including long-term survivorship and bereavement. In addition to the current English version of the site, St. Jude will make the website available in multiple languages in the coming months.
“Because childhood cancer is rare, many families are not able to find trusted resources,” said Alberto Pappo, MD, a member of the St. Jude faculty and an adviser for the website. “Together offers families comprehensive medical information from a source they can trust. All people touched by childhood cancer deserve a community like this where they can learn, connect, and support one another.”
The information on the website is generated from the latest research and best practices in pediatric oncology. Content, which includes articles, animations, illustrations, and video features, has been developed and vetted by staff at St. Jude. Members of the St. Jude Patient Family Advisory Council, a group of parents or patients who are at least 18 years or older, also review the site and offer their perspective on how families of diagnosed children look for information.
This article was adapted from information provided by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.