Artificial Intelligence in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Care: A Discussion Paper

The number of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer has increased over the past 30 years. Fundamental to this process has been the combined contribution from nursing and other health care professionals.

The authors discuss artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies to support the care of AYAs with cancer in the United Kingdom. Two innovative projects are highlighted: (1) the development of a living lab and (2) a virtual clinical placement for undergraduate nursing students, currently being undertaken through higher education institutions and a cancer association in the United Kingdom that will embrace AI and digital technologies for the care delivery for young people with cancer.

Evidence suggests AYAs with cancer face specific vulnerability in the social domain; fragile employment, finance, delayed education, and lost personal relationships remain a substantial problem. To combat these social inequalities, case 1 specifically focuses on these social aspects to build a community and combat the challenges and barriers experienced. Case 2 addresses the challenges of ensuring undergraduate nurses have exposure to AYAs with cancer to encourage more qualified nurses to have an interest in this area of care and seek a professional career within this specialty moving forward.

The discourse presented here sets the foundations for future (applied) research, ensuring that future practitioners and educators are equipped with the skills and knowledge pertaining to the integration and use of AI and eHealth technologies in the clinical environment.

This discussion paper presents two examples of the use of AI and technologies in AYA cancer care for nurses and other health care professionals. These examples are from work that is currently being developed and rolled out throughout the United Kingdom.