Cyberpoli Kids is the English version of the Cyberpoli, a project by Stichting Artsen voor Kinderen. Stichting Artsen voor Kinderen (Foundation Doctors for Children) is a Dutch NGO. The office is established in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

What is the Cyberpoli?

The Cyberpoli (www.cyberpoli.nl) is an information platform and meeting place for children and adolescents with a disability and/or chronic disorder. Common disorders such as asthma, diabetes or Celiac disease but also less common ones such as hemophilia, DSD or craniopharyngioma. At the Cyberpoli, these children and adolescents can obtain relevant information about their disorder, look each other up and ask questions to a panel of medical practitioners and experiential experts anonymously.

Cyberpoli Kids, explanation of the name

The Dutch word ‘poli’ in Cyberpoli is an abbreviation of ‘polikliniek’, which means outpatients clinic, or outpatients department. The word ‘poli’ has no real meaning in English.
Test phase of Cyberpoli Kids: the pilot version

In order to test the concept, it was decided to first set up a pilot version for four chronic disorders, diabetes, thyroid disorders, sickle cell disease and HIV.
What is the objective of Cyberpoli Kids?

As with Cyberpoli, the objective of Cyberpoli Kids is:

• To increase the knowledge and understanding children and adolescents have of their disorder.
• To give the medical practitioners a better insight into what it is like to live with a chronic disorder.
• To give the children a greater say in their treatment. The more they know, the more questions they can ask about their disorder.
• To increase the self-confidence of children so that they can become more independent in everyday life.

What does the pilot version of Cyberpoli Kids include?

Not all functions that can be found on the original Cyberpoli have been activated on Cyberpoli Kids.
The panel is not yet installed. The number of English-speaking practitioners and experiential experts that have been recruited is still insufficient.

Foreign legislation within the healthcare system and the associated liability for medical practitioners and experiential experts in the future panel must be clear before they can start answering questions.
Videos will be posted on Cyberpoli Kids with English subtitles, in due course.
A limited number of interviews has been translated. New interviews with children and adolescents outside the Netherlands will be published later.

Who are the people behind the Cyberpoli and Cyberpoli Kids?

The Cyberpoli is a project by Stichting Artsen voor Kinderen. The same team that manages the Cyberpoli is also responsible for Cyberpoli Kids.

This team consists of three permanent employees, all of whom are employed by Stichting Artsen voor Kinderen:
Marloes Vegelin, a pediatrician and neonatologist, is responsible for practically all medical texts on Cyberpoli Kids.
Roesja van Doorn, a dietitian and remedial educationalist, is the social webmaster and in her role as coordinator, she is responsible for day-to-day affairs.
Lex Winkler, a physician and the director of Stichting Artsen voor Kinderen and Stichting Fitkids, bears final responsibility for Cyberpoli Kids.
Guest editors are hired for specific medical topics.