Author: Liam Duan

Macmillan Weeks 9-11

As we’re coming up to my last 3 weeks at Macmillan, I have finished up on my part of the Patient Needs in Digital project. I have been looking into how the best cancer apps on the market cater to patients, evaluating what the key features are and how I personally rate the user experience of apps such as oWise and iCancerHealth. Having just finished my final report on these apps, it has been amazing to delve into the details of what makes apps successful, both in terms of aesthetics and practicalities. Allowing me to write my own recommendation for how Macmillan should focus their future efforts shows that they have put effort into the journey of work they have given me, and has been a really rewarding way to end the internship scheme.

Macmillan Weeks 6-8

Now about halfway through my internship, my timetable and work was becoming more regular. Like previously mentioned, Macmillan offer training courses to their staff, which interns can join too if we email a week before – so I’ve been making a note of when to email to try and get a place. Luckily I managed to get a place on Writing for Macmillan, which was really interesting as it investigated the approach for how the charity writes and portrays itself to others. Similarly, I had an induction with someone from the Cancer Information Development team which I found very useful to discover how the charity utilises the information it has to make it as effective as possible.

Macmillan Weeks 3-5

Week 3 began with some proper work, looking into the needs of cancer patients in digital – exploring the different attitudes towards digital as well as the different ways patients use it. This, firstly, involved investigating a list of various health apps currently on the market and seeing how they worked, different features they had and in what ways they’ve hit the target market. Funnily enough, this involved actually having a play around on most of them so if I’m ever in need of health-restoration, I know exactly where to go!

With everyone at Macmillan being so friendly, people in other departments are kind enough to give you an induction into their area of work, answering any questions you may have.

Macmillan Weeks 1-2

Macmillan Cancer Support are a charity that aims to improve the lives of people living with cancer in all aspects of  life – from diagnosis, through treatment and living with cancer and even end of life. They have been growing at a rapid rate over the last few years and so you’re pretty much guaranteed to see them around! If you want to find out more information about them, whether it’s to fund raise for them or simply explore their values, the link is here: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/

My internship is based in their office at Albert Embankment, Vauxhall in their technology department – their first ever intern!