We at the Institute for Health Metrics (IHM), producers of www.healthmetrics.org, believe that you have the right to know how your personal information may be used or disclosed. Accordingly, we have created this Privacy Statement in order to describe how we collect information, what we do with it, and what controls you have. Please read it carefully, and if you have any questions or concerns, please send us a comment at ihmprivacy@healthmetrics.org. Unless otherwise indicated, this Privacy Statement applies only to information collected via the healthmetrics.org website, and not to any other activities or websites of the IHM. "Information" means information about you that is personally identifiable like your name, address, email address, phone number, areas of interest or data related to your quality and performance improvement work or credit card information, and other information about you that is not otherwise publicly available. This policy does not apply to the practices of companies that IHM does not own or control or to people that IHM does not employ or manage.
Gathering of Information
We collect data ("Information") from you in different ways and on many different parts of our website including: when you register for www.healthmetrics.org; when you participate in Website features including discussion groups, surveys, on-line chats, etc.; when you download or use interactive tools; when you comment on content; when you use the search function; when you share your quality and performance improvement stories, tools and other resources; when you rate content on the site; or even when you are just perusing the site and reading content.
Use of Information
When visiting any website, your browser sends information to the site's hosting server identifying the browser you are using, your Internet Service Provider, the page you last visited, and the page you are currently visiting. We log this Information. We may also track and catalog the search terms that you enter in search forms. We make use of a standard feature of browser software called a "cookie" that helps us recognize you when you visit. We store your email address in a cookie file and place the file on the hard drive of your computer. Most browsers accept cookies. However, if you wish, you can usually set your browser to refuse cookies. If you set your browser to refuse cookies, you will need to login to the site each time you visit.
We collect Information that you choose to share with us when you register for the website. This Information is only collected with your permission. If you choose these options during your registration, we may use your Information to send you a newsletter or email messages with updates and notices concerning new content posted to the site and/or products or services that we think might be of interest to you. Completing the registration information allows us to better understand you, your position, your organization type and interests.
Access to Information
www.healthmetrics.org the Institute for Health Metrics and its employees have access to your Information. We use all of this Information to administer and improve the operations of www.healthmetrics.org. Aggregate Information or data on visitors to our site and how the site is being used, including the pages users are viewing, will also be logged. We may also share aggregate Information with market analysts, advertisers, business partners, sponsors, and any other third parties.
We may provide third party service providers and consultants aggregate Information on an as-needed basis. We may also share Information as required by law or to cooperate with legal authorities in a criminal investigation.
Third Parties/Links
www.healthmetrics.org links to other sites. If you have any concerns regarding the security or privacy of our affiliates, we encourage you to review their privacy policies or even to contact them directly. www.healthmetrics.org and the Institute for Health Metrics is not responsible for the privacy practices, data collection, security or content of other websites. We treat any Information we receive from third parties as carefully as the Information you provide to us directly.
Security
We use industry-standard SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption technology, a secure server, and other physical and procedural safeguards to protect the security of your personal Information. Please understand, however, that no security system is impenetrable. We cannot guarantee that the Information you supply will not be intercepted while being transmitted to us over the Internet. We will never ask for it by phone or email, and neither should anyone else.
You may wish to delete unknown email attachments before opening them as they can contain destructive viruses. Remember that nothing you write on the Web is completely private - including email.
Viewing and Updating Your Information
By using www.healthmetrics.org, you consent to the collection and use of your Information as we have outlined in this Privacy Statement and our Terms of Use. If you do not agree to our policy, you may not use www.healthmetrics.org. We may change our policies at any time and without prior notice. If we decide to change this Privacy Statement, we will post the changes to this page so that users may be aware of our actions. Your continued use of www.healthmetrics.org following a posting of changes to this Privacy Statement will mean that you accept those changes.
Revision date: March 3, 2009
