Aviva is adding access to mental health support and a specialist symptom recording app to its cancer cover for large corporate private healthcare schemes.
The Talking Through Cancer service and Careology app will be available for employees on new and renewing healthcare schemes from 1 April 2023.
Aviva said the services will be offered to members at the point of a claim for cancer, to help them control how they live and deal with cancer and to better support their mental wellbeing.
The Talking Through Cancer service is provided through Onebright and gives employees access to a dedicated team of specialist cancer therapists to help them and their loved ones.
It offers a clinical programme of therapy tailored to the employee’s individual needs and includes specialist support for children from the age of five years.
The Careology app offers a simple and secure way for employees to record, track and manage information relating to their cancer care and treatment.
Employees who have made a cancer claim can monitor and record their symptoms and side effects to easily keep track how they are feeling. If any red flag symptoms are logged, the individual will be prompted to contact their clinical care team.
Their medication details and schedule can be added so patients can opt to receive reminders through the app when it’s time to take a specific drug.
Employees can privately record their questions, thoughts and feelings in a digital journal and if they wish, they can share this with their care team. The information they store can also act as a useful prompt to recall their daily experiences when they talk to their clinicians.
Aviva UK Health clinical business adviser Amanda Windsor said: “We recognise that a cancer diagnosis can be devastating not just for the person, but for their loved ones too.
“Insight shows that approximately 67% of carers for people with cancer experience anxiety and 42% experience depression. Of these, over three quarters do not receive any support.
“It is a time where people living with cancer and their loved ones can feel helpless and without any control.
“Our Talking Through Cancer service and Careology app provide help, support and advice to our customers when they receive a cancer diagnosis, throughout their treatment and beyond.”