Frequently Asked Questions

Children's Social Network

What is Children's Medical Center's Patient Family Social Network?

Children's Patient Family Social Network is a private online community for patients and families of Children's. The Social Network was created to connect patients and families.

We aim to increase communication, support, and connection between patients and families, and aid in the capacity to care for children.

Does it cost money to join?

Membership is free.

When can I join?

Enrollment is open now. A validated medical record number and patient date of birth is required. Please click here for self-registration online.

Why can’t my friends at other hospitals join?

We are current focused on creating a strong support group between Children's patients and families. We appreciate the request for patients and families at other hospitals to join too.

How did you decide on age 13?

13 is the legal age a person can agree to the Terms and Conditions of Use as per Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Please see http://www.coppa.org/coppa.htm for more information.

Can users create Communities?

Yes; under Communities, all members have the ability to create a Community, choose security settings, and invite members.

How will I find patients / families like me?

The easiest way to find patients/families like you is to join a Community. The Communities dropdown "Select a Category" will allow you to view all Communities associated with a diagnosis. When you have joined a Community, you can add a member to your Friends Network. You can also use Search to find patients/families.

How will I know what Communities to join?

You can search for existing Communities by:

Using the search feature in the upper right corner,
Using tags located on the left (key words users have chosen that describe the Community),
Sorting all Communities by selecting Recent, Popular, or Alphabetical, or
Using the "Select a Category" dropdown on the left to locate Communities “tagged” with a diagnosis.

Do patients get their own login?

Yes; if they are at least 13 years old and agree to the Terms and Conditions of Use.

Do parents/legal guardians have access to what their child is writing or reading?

Children's Patient Family Social Network is divided into two environments: age 13-17 and age 18 and above. The two environments are private from one another.

Is my profile public or private?

Profiles are public. Communities and the Forums and Files within the Communities have security options available for the user to choose public or private.

Where does the registration information I entered go?

Your registration information will be collected by Children’s Medical Center’s staff for the sole purpose of verifying that you are a patient or family member of a patient at Children’s Medical Center. Your name will be public in Children’s Patient Family Social Network. All other registration information is private. Please see our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions of Use for more information.

Will children and adults be in the same online Communities?

Children's Patient Family Social Network is divided in to two environments: age 13 to 17 and age 18 and above. The two environments are private from one another.

Can I be a Friend to my family / child?

If your family/child are in the same age environment as you, you can ask them to be in your Friend’s Network.

Who will have access to the social network?

Patients/past-patients of Children’s Medical Center at least 13 years old.
Legal guardians of a Patients/past-patients of Children’s Medical Center at least 13 years old

Will staff members of Children's be on the network?

Staff members will ONLY be on Children’s Patient Family Social Network if they have a child that is a patient/past patient or are a past patient themselves at Children's Medical Center. As a member, they will be interacting ONLY as a family member or patient/past patient, NOT as staff.

Network administrators will be staff members and will have access to the network.

How will the site be monitored?

Users have the option to report another member. Staff administrators will be given access to the situation reported.

What if we have a problem with another user?

Users have the option to report another member. Staff administrators will be given access to the situation reported.

Based on the severity of the report and the context of the conversation, administrators will respond as they would in a real-life situation encountering such a conversation. Administrators do have the ability to suspend or revoke membership for inappropriate use or behavior. Each situation will be looked at individually.

If I report someone, what will happen?

Depending on the situation, various actions may occur. Children's Medical Center does have the access and right to suspend or revoke membership for inappropriate use or behavior. Each situation will be looked at individually.

What if I forget my password?

Please click on "Forgot Password" located near the login box.

Who can I contact for help?

Children's Service Desk is 214-456-4636. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What if something doesn't work or I get an error message?

We ask you to help us by reporting those errors by calling the Children’s Service Desk at 214-456-4636.