The European MAYA project gives cancer survivors a voice in its first Spanish pilot workshop

January 27 was a particularly significant date for the European MAYA project in the context of its Spanish pilot program. The first workshop with patients, researchers, and other stakeholders took place in Ciudad Real, a key meeting that marks the beginning of the project’s development based on the real experiences of those who have lived, and continue to live, with cancer.

The Spanish pilot is managed by the University of Castilla-La Mancha, through its Architecture and Computer Networks research group, with the support of the General University Hospital of Ciudad Real, an entity that, like CETEM, is part of the MAYA project consortium.

MAYA is working towards a future in which adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors can take care of their cardiovascular health and lifestyle from home, supported by innovative digital tools. These solutions are designed to address the late effects associated with cardiotoxicity, one of the most common consequences of cancer treatments.

During the day, participants were able to learn in detail about the project and how the so-called “digital mirror” works, one of MAYA’s key tools. The workshop was structured around two highly participatory co-creation sessions. The first focused on identifying the needs, challenges, and difficulties of everyday life after cancer treatment. The second fostered an enriching debate on digital health and artificial intelligence, focusing on fundamental aspects such as the trustworthiness, reliability, and robustness of monitoring tools.

CETEM was present at this meeting, as it will be responsible for analyzing the data generated, developing and managing interpretation models, and detecting possible anomalies using machine learning techniques.

For CETEM, this workshop represented a key opportunity to listen directly to healthcare professionals and end users, the AYA cancer survivors themselves, and gain an in-depth understanding of their expectations, concerns, and real needs. This approach is essential to ensure that the technological solutions developed are useful, understandable, and truly aligned with people’s daily lives.

CETEM was accompanied by AYAC, an organization that actively participated in the event, sharing its concerns and demonstrating its interest and commitment to continuing to collaborate and contribute its vision to the development of the MAYA project.