CoppaFeel! and Miroma Project Factory are trying to stamp out late detection of breast cancer with education tool

UK breast cancer awareness and education charity CoppaFeel! pairs with global digital development agency Miroma Project Factory to produce a webapp to bring breast awareness, checking and early detection to the forefront of people's minds across the world.

The webapp, called The Self-Checkout, was born out of behavioural insight research that showed young women needed to have both knowledge and confidence in equal measure to be encouraged to start checking their boobs/pecs/chest. In females aged 25-49 in the UK, breast cancer is the most common cancer, accounting for more than 4 in 10 (44%) of all cases. The charity’s research shows that currently only around 30% of young women are currently checking on a monthly basis and only around 50% feel confident in doing so.

CoppaFeel! are the first breast cancer charity in the UK to solely create awareness amongst young people, with the aim of instilling knowledge and by providing easy to use tools they need to get to know their bodies, so that they stand the best possible chance of being diagnosed early. MPF identified early on that the target users would struggle to understand where to ‘begin’ or how to explore the site’s wealth of content. To address this, MPF constructed a new onboarding experience to give an ‘app-like' experience, using cookies to personalise the experience (e.g. gender-inclusive terminology is set by the user), and push new visitors through the core ‘how to’ content in a structured order.

The Self-Checkout includes a ‘check-in’ count, share function, step by step directions and uses gamification techniques to give a sense of achievement. It also includes SMS, email and calendar reminders, downloadable checklists, video content and embedded Instagram stories. Google Analytics tracks selected interactions to understand the point at which users ‘stop’ using the tool when the habit has been formed – a key success criteria for the tool.

“MPF are very proud to be working alongside CoppaFeel! to create a tool that educates young individuals on how to check and understand the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. This tool provides a real sense of inclusivity, by allowing the user to select their preferred chest term to appear throughout the application, making everyone feel comfortable. We look forward to watching this tool grow and to continue working alongside the CoppaFeel! team.” Stephanie Watson, Digital Producer Miroma Project Factory.

“We are very excited to launch this new, game-changing tool. Breast cancer can affect anyone regardless of their age or gender so we hope that by offering personalised guidance and tailored health information, the Self-Checkout will help our breast awareness message and information feel accessible and relevant to more young people. When diagnosed early, breast cancer can be very treatable and survival rates higher, so we are so pleased to be able to offer a step-by-step guide to getting started and providing practical tools to build people’s confidence in their ability to check to ultimately help them become regular checkers.” – Millie Young, Education Programmes Manager at CoppaFeel!

This project wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the UK Government’s Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund.

About CoppaFeel!

CoppaFeel! are the first breast cancer charity in the UK to solely create awareness amongst young people. The charity aims to ensure that all breast cancers are diagnosed at the earliest stage possible by educating people on the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, encouraging them to check regularly and instilling the confidence to seek medical referral if they detect abnormalities. Currently 5% of diagnosed cases are already at stage IV with breast cancer being the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women under 30 in the UK (181 new cases diagnosed and 12 deaths annually). CoppaFeel! is the third most recognized breast cancer charity amongst young people and those aware of CoppaFeel! are 58% more likely to check their boobs regularly than those not aware (CoppaFeel! research, sample based upon 18 – 29 year olds. December 2019 research).

About Miroma Project Factory

Miroma Project Factory is a multi award-winning digital production and development house that creates innovative and interactive digital products across web, mobile, social media and games platforms. Miroma Project Factory is a female-led team and was recently listed by Woman Love Tech as one of 11 creating an amazing workplace for their employees. Its’ reputation is built on delivering ground-breaking products in entertainment, broadcast and health with a deep specialisation in gamification for engagement and behavioural change. For more information, please visit www.theprojectfactory.com