Stollery Children's Hospital introduces Upopolis for its patients
Edmonton hospital becomes first in Alberta to use Upopolis, a new social network tool for young patients to help them decode medical jargon
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The Stollery Children’s Hospital is using a new social platform to give young patients access to medical content.
It’s the first time that the tool, dubbed Upopolis, has been used at an Alberta hospital.
The platform transforms medical jargon into more accessible language and also helps children keep in touch with their loved ones while in care.
Lois Wolgemuth, manager of child life services at the hospital, said Stollery has one of the highest in-patient volumes in Canada.
“Upopolis can provide online social support for our patients and help them connect with others in a safe way, stay connected to their communities, and relate to other children and youth on a similar health-care journey,” she said.
The Upopolis program was launched at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ont., in 2007 and is now used in 11 hospitals and health organizations.
Basile Papaevangelou, spokesman for Kids’ Health Links Foundation, which created the tool, said he hopes to implement the program in three remaining children’s hospitals.
“Today over 1,700 kids in children’s hospitals across Canada have been able to take advantage of Upopolis,” he said.
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