Website Privacy Policy

Thank you for visiting this Cleveland Clinic Website, doing business as ClevelandClinicHealth.com.

ClevelandClinicHealth.com understands, acknowledges and respects any individual’s right to privacy and the concerns one may have in regard to privacy and security. We recognize the importance of protecting the privacy of information provided by visitors to this Website.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER. IF THIS IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, PLEASE IMMEDIATELY CALL EMERGENCY PERSONNEL (911) TO GET PROMPT MEDICAL ATTENTION.  DO NOT RELY ON ELECTRONIC COMMUNICIATIONS OR THIS WEBSITE FOR ASSISTANCE IN REGARD TO YOUR IMMEDIATE, URGENT MEDICAL NEEDS. THIS WEBSITE IS NOT DESIGNED TO FACILITATE MEDICAL EMERGENCIES. CLEVELAND CLINIC CANNOT GUARANTEE RESPONSE TIMES IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE THIS WEBSITE IN THE EVENT OF A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

PERSONAL INFORMATION.  A visitor can access and browse our entire Website at any time without providing any personal information. We do not collect information that would personally identify you unless you choose to provide it.

In addition, ClevelandClinicHealth.com does not share any personally identifiable information of any individual with any third party unrelated to ClevelandClinicHealth.com, except in situations where we must provide information for legal purposes or investigations, or if so directed by the user through a proper authorization.

FORMS.  Our Website contains forms through which users may request information or supply feedback to us.  In some cases, telephone numbers, email addresses or return addresses are required so that we can supply requested information to you. 

After you fill out a form, we may contact you with follow-up information (unless you have checked an "opt-out" box on the form). We do not provide any information supplied on our web forms to any outside organization for any reason (other than where we may be required to by law). We do not save this personal information for any other reason.

SURVEYS.  Occasionally, we may survey visitors to our site. The information from these surveys is used in aggregate form to help us understand the needs of our visitors so that we can improve our site. We generally do not ask for information in surveys that would personally identify you. If we do request contact information for follow-up, you may decline to provide it. If survey respondents provide personal information (such as an email address) in a survey, it is shared only with those people who need to see it to respond to the question or request.

EMAIL. "Phishing" is a scam designed to steal your personal information. If you receive an email that looks like it is from ClevelandClinicHealth.com asking you for your personal information, do not respond. We will never request your password, user name, credit card information or other personal information through email.

USER NAME AND PASSWORD.  In the event you access any Service requiring a User Name and Password, you are solely responsible for keeping such User Name and Password strictly confidential.

NON-PERSONAL INFORMATION. ClevelandClinicHealth.com collects non-personal information such as website usage, traffic patterns, site performance and related statistics based on our tracking of your visits to the Website.

IP ADDRESSES. The Web server automatically collects the IP (which stands for Internet Protocol) address of the computers that access our site. An IP address is a number that is assigned to your computer when you access the Internet. It is not truly personally identifiable information because many different individuals can access the Internet via the same computer. We use this information in aggregate form to understand how our site is being used and how we can better serve visitors.

Please note that although such information is not personally identifiable, we can determine from an IP address a visitor's Internet Service Provider and the geographic location of his or her point of connectivity.

FIRST PARTY COOKIES.  We collect information about visitors to our site using "first party cookies”, which are alphanumeric identifiers that we transfer to your computer's hard drive through your web browser. Cookies are never associated with specific personal identities. First party cookies are distinct from third party cookies that are created and directly served by the company hosting the website.

We use two types of “cookies” on this Website:

• We use persistent cookies to recognize a repeat visitor, enabling us the opportunity to offer the visitor a set of services or information requested in a previous visit.

• We use session cookies to track a visitor's path through our site during a visit, to help us understand how people use our site.

You can delete our cookies at any time. The "help" section, located on the toolbar of most browsers, will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie or how to disable cookies altogether. Since cookies allow you to take full advantage of some of our Website's best features, we recommend that you leave them turned on.

SECURITY OF YOUR INFORMATION.  ClevelandClinicHealth.com is an educational site. Please note that generally our forms and comments boxes requesting personal information (name, address, email address, etc.) are neither secure nor encrypted. The products/services on eCleveland Clinic Secure Online Services provide secure and encrypted transmission over the Internet, including, but not limited to MyChart, MyConsult, MyPractice Community, and DrConnect. Additionally, web appointment requests forms and web contact requests forms provide secure and encrypted transmission over the Internet.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY.  THIS WEBSITE’S MATERIALS, SERVICES AND OTHER INFORMATION ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.  ClevelandClinicHealth.com makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation of this Website, or the content, products and/or services, included therein. To the fullest extent permissible by applicable law, ClevelandClinicHealth.com disclaims all warranties, express or implied including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and/or infringement. When using this Website, information will be transmitted over a medium that is beyond the control of ClevelandClinicHealth.com.

YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT CLEVELANDCLINICHEALTH.COM DOES NOT OPERATE OR CONTROL THE DEVICES OR COMPUTERS OR INTERNET OVER WHICH YOU MAY CHOOSE TO SEND CONFIDENTIAL PERSONAL INFORMATION AND CANNOT, THEREFORE, PREVENT SUCH INTERCEPTIONS OR COMPROMISES TO YOUR INFORMATION WHILE IN TRANSIT TO CLEVELANDCLINICHEALTH.COM. IN ADDITION, WE MAKE NO GUARANTEE AS TO SECURITY, INTEGRITY OR CONFIDENTIALITY OF ANY INFORMATION TRANSMITTED TO OR FROM THIS WEBSITE, OR STORED WITHIN THIS WEBSITE.

WE DO NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE USE OF THIS WEBSITE WILL BE ERROR-FREE OR FREE OF TECHNOLOGY DOWNTIMES OR UNAVAILABILITY.  YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT CLEVELANDCLINICHEALTH.COM CANNOT AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE AGAINST VIRUSES, WORMS, OR OTHER UNAUTHORIZED USERS OR HACKERS ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN ACCESS TO THIS WEBSITE OR INFORMATION TRANSMITTED TO OR FROM THIS SITE. USERS HEREBY EXPRESSLY ASSUME THE SOLE RISK OF ANY UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OR INTENTIONAL INTRUSION, OR OF ANY DELAY, FAILURE, INTERRUPTION, OR CORRUPTON OF DATA OR OTHER INFORMATION TRANSMITTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OF THIS WEBSITE. 

ClevelandClinicHealth.com is not responsible for data, messages or pages lost, not delivered or misdirected because of interruptions or performance issues with the internet. The timeliness of data received is not guaranteed. Delays or omissions may occur.

ALTHOUGH OUR HEALTH INFORMATION CONTENT IS REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, CLEVELANDCLINICHEALTH.COM DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY, OR COMPLETENESS OF ANY INFORMATION AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS OR FOR THE RESULTS OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF SUCH INFORMATION.

ClevelandClinicHealth.com also reserves the right to temporarily or permanently discontinue this site, any page, or any functionality on this Website at any time and without notice.

POLICY CHANGES. THIS POLICY MAY BE UPDATED AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND EACH TIME A USER ACCESSES ClevelandClinicHealth.com, THE NEW POLICY WILL GOVERN USAGE, EFFECTIVE UPON POSTING. To remain in compliance, ClevelandClinicHealth.com suggests that you review this Policy, as well as the other Website policies, at regular intervals. By accessing this Website after such new terms are posted, you accept and agree to any and all such modifications to this Policy.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. YOU ASSUME THE SOLE RISK OF TRANSMITTING YOUR INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO THE USE OF THIS WEBSITE, AND FOR ANY DATA CORRUPTIONS, INTENTIONAL INTERCEPTIONS, INTRUSIONS OR UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO INFORMATION, OR OF ANY DELAYS, INTERRUPTIONS TO OR FAILURES PREVENTING THE USE THIS WEBSITE.

IN NO EVENT SHALL CLEVELAND CLINIC AND CLEVELANDCLINICHEALTH.COM BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR MONETARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING FEES, AND PENALTIES IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF MATERIALS POSTED ON THIS SITE OR CONNECTIVITY TO OR FROM THIS SITE TO ANY OTHER SITE.

CLEVELAND CLINIC MAY CHANGE THIS WEBSITE PRIVACY POLICY AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE TO YOU.

Other services provided by Cleveland Clinic on this Website may require you to agree to additional terms.

If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy or our use of information gathered through our Website, please contact: cchealth@ccf.org

BY USING THIS WEBSITE, YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS.

This document was last updated on: July 9, 2009

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