@NEWORLD: A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY FOR KIDS WITH CANCER

患有癌症的儿童在努力应对自己的病情时面临着无数的心理挑战。Internet的固有特性——富媒体环境中的连接性和交互性——使其成为解决这些挑战的有希望的工具。全面而科学地了解互联网技术的影响是确定其在儿科医疗保健干预中的作用的关键。我们建议发展一种基于互联网的干预措施，通过在鼓励交流、教育和自我表达的环境中提供与同龄人社区的接触，帮助儿童处理孤立、恐惧、焦虑和自尊下降的问题。我们将通过研究项目在减轻孤独、焦虑和压力方面的效果来评估干预措施。此外，我们将通过评估对自尊、应对行为和对健康命运的控制感的影响来检验干预作为沟通和社会化工具的价值。我们的目标是在诊断和治疗期间保持孩子与学校的联系，并将孩子与正在经历与疾病相关的类似挑战的同龄人联系起来。通过这种方式，我们将使用互联网作为我们所谓的“社会计算”的基础，将技术和社会需求整合在一起。建议的商业应用：该项目将在儿童癌症治疗中心、医院和学校进行初步应用。然而，它也提供了许多垂直市场机会。癌症只是影响儿童的许多慢性或致命疾病之一。该计划可能是将基于互联网的技术扩展到其他慢性儿童疾病的有用原型。该项目最终可能会通过健康维护组织和健康保险公司的第三方报销向儿童医院提供。

Children with cancer face myriad psychosocial challenges as they try to cope with their condition. The inherent qualities of the Internet- connectivity and interactivity in a media-rich environment-make it a promising tool for addressing these challenges. A comprehensive and scientific understanding of the impact of Internet technology is key to defining its role as an intervention in pediatric healthcare. We propose to develop an Internet-based intervention to help children deal with issues of isolation, fear, anxiety, and decreased selfesteem by providing access to a community of peers in an environment that encourages communication, education, and self-expression. We will evaluate the intervention by studying program effects in alleviating loneliness, anxiety, and stress. In addition, we will examine the value of the intervention as a communication and socialization tool by assessing effects on self-esteem, coping behaviors, and feelings of control over health destiny. Our goal is to keep the child connected to the school during diagnosis and treatment, and to connect the child with a community of peers who are experiencing similar challenges related to illness. In this way, we will use the Intemet as the basis for what we call "social computing" in an integration of technology and social need. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: This program will have initial application in pediatric cancer treatment centers, hospitals and schools. However, it also offers numerous vertical market opportunities. Cancer is just one of the many chronic or fatal diseases that affect children. The proposed program may be a useful prototype for expanding Internet-based technology to other chronic childhood diseases. The program may ultimately he made available to children's hospitals via third-party reimbursement from health maintenance organizations and health insurance companies.