Terms of use
CHEO's role is to meet the health needs of children and youth. Because of this, we must be particularly careful about how we use social media to exchange information and interact with our community. By engaging with any of CHEO's social media accounts, you must agree to our terms of use.
Maintain a positive atmosphere
Make sure messages you post are respectful towards others, no matter how strongly you disagree with their opinion. Unpleasant, personal remarks are hurtful. Highly critical comments can make other members hesitant to express their opinions. So, please feel free to disagree, but phrase all comments in respectful language.
Share your experience, not your advice
We encourage you to share your story, but please do not provide medical advice or recommendations.
Seek professional help when in crisis
CHEO's social media accounts are not meant to provide crisis support. If you are in crisis, we encourage you to get professional help so that you can get the care you need.
- Telehealth Ontario: 1-866-797-0000
- Kids Help Phone 24/7 phone counseling for children and youth: 1-800-668-6868
- Youth Services Bureau 24/7 crisis line: 1-877-377-7775 (toll-free) or online crisis chat
Use caution and common sense
Virtual discussion groups are a great way to connect with other people. However, keep in mind that some people may not be who they seem. You should never share personal, identifying information online; especially personal information about your children and family. Remember that information posted on any social media site can live online forever. Think about what that means before sharing.
Be respectful
Discriminatory comments are not permitted. Discriminatory comments include negative references to someone's race, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs, body type, physical or mental health and/or access issues. Comments that are discriminatory or libelous, or create privacy concerns, will be removed.
No endorsements
No advertising or solicitation of any kind.
Privacy
Privacy of patients/clients, families and staff must be respected. Do not use full names or last names of people when posting comments, or provide any other identifying details. You are responsible if you post any private details about yourself or your family.
Be authentic
Information you post about yourself must be true. Do not impersonate, falsely represent, or otherwise misrepresent yourself. If you post content, you must have the right to do so and you must not violate any copyright laws.
Third party content
You acknowledge and agree that CHEO is not responsible for any content or comments posted on the site by a third party.
Age of consent
You must be age of majority. If you are not, you must get permission from your parents before participating.
Liability
Under no circumstances is CHEO, or its representatives, liable for any damages that occur from or are related to your interaction with CHEO's social media activities. You acknowledge that you are personally liable for the content of your posts and the consequences thereof.
Do you have concerns?
If you have any concerns about care received at CHEO, our Patient/Family Representative is here for you. The purpose of their job is to represent and help children, youth and families through advocacy and problem-solving. They can help during your time at CHEO, as well as after you leave.
Our Patient/Family Representative will:
- help you understand some of your rights and CHEO's policies and procedures
- make sure your feedback (positive or negative) is heard and used to ensure CHEO's care is the best possible
For more information, please contact our Patient Experience team.
If you have any concerns about our social media accounts, please contact our Communications team.