BRIGHTLIGHT_2021
← Back to Studies

BRIGHTLIGHT Mosaic Study

Published on September 1, 2016
Research team

Faith Gibson: Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust

Cecilia Vindrola: University College London

Rachel Taylor, Jeremy Whelan, Susie Pearce, Sarah Lea: University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Louise Hooker: University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

Funded by London South Bank University

The Mosaic study mapped teenage and young adult (TYA) cancer services in England to provide an overview of the way care is organised across different principal treatment centres (PTC). Each PTC and its network of care have unique clinical configurations of care, and are set within different socio-geographical contexts. This exploratory study was funded independently by London South Bank University and was undertaken in 2012-2013. The study sought to describe where teenage and young adult care was delivered, who delivered it and how it is delivered in each PTC.

What were our aims?

The study aimed to:

  • understand the geographical layout of the TYA unit in each PTC
  • catalogue key weekly events within each PTC as described by health professionals
  • catalogue key weekly events within each PTC as described by young people
  • identify other areas within each Trust that deliver care to young people
  • identify healthcare providers external to the host Trust, within the network of the PTC who provide care for young people
  • define the roles of external organisations providing care
  • create a framework for the systematic selection of case study sites (the BRIGHTLIGHT case study). 

What did we do?

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with young people, their family members, and staff in 11 TYA PTCs. Using different levels of extraction, these data were drawn together to illuminate the main components of TYA cancer care and the range of approaches to service delivery.

What did we find?

Young people, family members, and staff consistently identified and valued similar areas of TYA cancer care: caring and supportive staff, activities designed for TYAs, and an environment that feels like home. The mapping exercise successfully informed the selection of four sites for the in-depth case study. The main components of specialized TYA care have been described.

Access the published findings of this study.