Developing a breast cancer support app

What’s the project about?

Most people remember less than half of what's said in a medical appointment. And the parts that get lost are often the parts that matter most.

Ditto is an app built to take some of that weight off. With your permission it records your appointment, turns it into a clear written summary in everyday language, and lets you choose exactly who sees what.

You can share the whole thing with one person and just the headlines with another. You can translate it. You can ask questions about your own record later. And at the end of a summary the app can point you towards trusted information from organisations like Breast Cancer Now.

The app developers want to make sure that the app is shaped by people affected by breast cancer so that it reflects what people need. They're inviting people to test and feedback on the app before it launches.

Who’s organising it?

Name of project lead: Oli Desloges

Job title: Strategy & Expansion

Organisation: Ditto

Email address: oli@ditto.care

Who can take part?

You can take part if you're 18 or over, live in the UK, and breast cancer is part of your life.

That includes:

• Anyone who has or has had primary breast cancer, including DCIS, stage 1, 2 or 3 primary breast cancer, or a local or regional recurrence of primary breast cancer 

• People living with metastatic breast cancer

• Partners, family members, friends and carers of someone with breast cancer  

Why do you want me to be involved?

By testing the app, you can help Ditto see what's working, and what can be improved. This will let them make changes to the app so it supports people affected by breast cancer as well as it can.

What will you ask me to do?

The app developer would like you to test the app, and tell them what you think of it. You'll get the new version of Ditto before it's publicly released, with everything unlocked: and it stays free for you permanently.

Setup takes about 5 minutes on your own phone (iPhone or Android). After that, use it however suits you. Record real appointments, scan discharge letters, invite friends and family, or just have a look around and see what it does. There's no minimum amount that you're expected to use it – just use it how you want to.

Inside the app there's a short survey you can open whenever you like, as often as you like. That's where you tell the developers what's working and what isn't. Everything is useful: a typo, a button you couldn't find, a word that made you flinch, or 'this whole feature makes no sense for someone like me'. It takes a few minutes, and you can come back and add more as you use the app further. You can stop at any point and leave any survey unanswered.

How do I get involved?

To get involved, just download Ditto and start using it.

When’s the deadline?

31 October 2026