Team behind online breast screening hub wins national award
Wednesday 5 October 2016
A team which created an online support group for women invited for breast screening has received a prestigious national award.
The project team behind the Word of Mouth Mammogram e-Network (WoMMeN) online and social media hub, which is supported by the University of Salford, has been given the Society of Radiographers UK Radiography Team of the Year award for their work.
The WoMMen hub is designed for all women who have been invited for breast screening and want to know more about what to expect from the process.
It also enables users to talk to other women and NHS practitioners, as well as to get access to useful written information and videos.
The hub, which is designed by users of the service, is also supported by other groups such as the Bolton Breast Unit and the Nightingale Centre at the University Hospital of South Manchester.
A team from across the University, including academics specialising in radiography, midwifery, nursing, psychology and business, as well as clinical practitioners from radiography, PhD students and patients, created the hub.
As well as setting up the WoMMen hub, they also created a private Facebook user research group, releasing a series of publications and attracting a significant international following to their social media accounts.
Dr Leslie Robinson, senior lecturer in Diagnostic Radiography, said: “Being invited for breast screening is a daunting experience, and women will often turn to the web to find out more about what the process is about – which as we all know can often be full of misleading and incorrect information.
“We wanted to create a trustworthy and safe space, where women could not only find accurate information about the procedure, but could communicate directly with practitioners and with other women who had been through the process. Many women who have used the hub have told us it gave them reassurance and confidence during a very troubling time.
“The WoMMeN team is diverse and their enthusiasm and energy for the project is boundless. I have thoroughly enjoyed leading this amazing group of people who have also bonded as friends as well as colleagues.”
On the back of their award, the WoMMeN team is organising an evening research seminar, held at the University’s Mary Seacole Building on Thursday 27 October 2016. The team will be accounting their story, specifically around the role social media played in their research.
For more details visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-story-of-wommen-a-case-study-of-social-media-in-research-tickets-27978175476
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