My Cancer MAI Care

Project impact

AI driven decision support for people living with cancer

Participatory design methodologies were used to understand and define the needs of stakeholders

Helps professionals to make care decisions informed by information generated by service use data analysis.

Macmillan Cancer Support commissioned DHI and Abertay University to develop a visual tool using gaming theory and AI to identify support needs of People Affected by Cancer (PABC). The tool analyses characteristics and similar cases to offer personalised care and resource planning, with interfaces for patients and health professionals.

< Return to projects

Cancer care in the UK faces critical challenges, including an ageing population and limited resources, demanding greater efficiency and improved care through technology. Macmillan Cancer Support has access to large datasets that can be used to drive evidence-based decisions, but their scale and complexity challenge traditional analysis methods.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) provide cost-effective tools to unlock the value of such data, supporting professionals in improving outcomes for persons affected by cancer (PABC). When combined with immersive user experience (UX) tools, like gaming technology, AI’s potential is significantly increased.

Identifying the most impactful areas for these technologies requires an understanding and definition of specific cancer care pathways. Engaging users ensures that service needs dictate technology use, not vice versa. By embracing AI and user-driven innovation, cancer care in the UK can significantly improve efficiency and outcomes.

Summary

Macmillan Cancer Support commissioned DHI and Abertay University to develop a visual tool using gaming theory and AI to identify support needs of People Affected by Cancer (PABC). The tool analyses characteristics and similar cases to offer personalised care and resource planning, with interfaces for patients and health professionals.

Partners

For health and social care professionals: AI can support planning and rapid decision making, helping professionals to make care decisions informed by information generated by service use data analysis. This could occur through intelligent summarisation of datasets and interactive visualization of complex information.

For PABC: AI systems hold the promise of enabling PABC to self-manage more effectively by placing powerful and trusted automated agents at their disposal. However, PABC might find it difficult to engage with these complex tools. As a result, advances need to be made not just in the deployment of AI for PABC but in the user-friendliness and security of these systems.

Impact & value

The primary goal of this project was to provide Health and Care professionals, particularly link workers, with accessible data to enable consistent support services. A critical focus was on the visualisation component, which was thoroughly tested by potential end users. As a result, the project developed and evaluated an interactive and dynamic information visualisation tool designed to present association rule-mined data effectively.