Privacy and Confidentiality Policy

Participation in Educational Activities
For live, accredited conferences, participant lists and contact information may be available in the course materials. This information is provided so that participants may maintain contact. The Office of Continuing Education (OCE) will never sell participant lists to outside parties. In rare instances when the OCE wishes to share participant information with a 3rd party, OCE will only do so if participants grant explicit permission to have the contact information shared.

Internet Privacy
Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) Office of Continuing Education (OCE) is managed by Tufts Health Care Institute (THCI) and follows the internet privacy and confidentiality policy of THCI. The policy may be found at http://thci.org/about_thci/privacy.html. See full policy below:

Internet Privacy

Tufts Health Care Institute (THCI) is committed to helping physicians and other healthcare professionals practice comfortably and effectively in a high quality, cost-effective health care environment. We work to insure that internet privacy of our users is protected. The following is our policy regarding user internet privacy.

Collection of Personal Information
All of the personal information that is collected during the registration process is kept in a secured area and is password protected. Your information will be kept on file for an indefinite period of time unless you notify THCI that you would like your information deleted. To delete your information, you must send an e-mail to THCI at thci@thci.org, requesting that all personal information be removed. We will delete your personal information from our databases within several business days of receipt of your request; however, it will take approximately 6 weeks to ensure that all personal information is deleted from archival media used to ensure the integrity of our databases.

E-Mail Messages
Tufts Health Care Institute may send you periodic messages regarding system, program and product announcements. You will receive messages in this regard unless you register to limit or decline these services as discussed below.

Limitation on use of Collected Information
Tufts Health Care Institute will not sell or exchange users' personal information and registered e-mail addresses to any other party or organization without the explicit prior permission of the user. Collected information will not be shared with other 3rd parties unless THCI specifically identifies otherwise at the time the information is collected.

Update/delete/deactivate E-Mail Services
Users may request changes to e-mail services delivered by Tufts Health Care Institute, including requests to receive no e-mail services. Users can send a request to have their email service eliminated by contacting Tufts Health Care Institute support at thci@thci.org. However, once the E-Mail address is deleted, the user loses access to valuable information assets delivered via E-mail.

Cookies
A "cookie" is a small text file that a web site can send to your computer's hard drive while you are viewing the site. THCI uses cookies to verify your identity while using our service and to give you faster access to pages on our site so that you do not have to log in to every page you visit. We DO NOT use cookies to collect any personal information about you or from your computer. The cookie and all the information it contains is erased every time you end your session at THCI's website, unless we obtain your prior consent to do otherwise. You may set your browser not to accept cookies, but that will limit your use of many features on our site.

Log Files
Tufts Health Care Institute records certain non-personal information in our web logs, such as: Internet Protocol address, browser type (e.g., whether you use Netscape or Internet Explorer), the page requested and the time of each page request. We collect this non-personal information to: track times to manage resources, analyze trends to provide better service, and for other site administration. This demographic information is not connected to any personally identifiable information, such as a name or address, and will be used only to provide better, more targeted services. This information, if shared, will be shared only in aggregate form, with only select 3rd parties, unless THCI specifically identifies otherwise at the time the information is collected. Tufts Health Care Institute will never release any user's personally identifiable information to 3rd parties unless subpoenaed or ordered by court of law, or to protect the security and safety of our visitors and our web site.

Security
Access to computer data and files at Tufts Health Care Institute is secured by password coding and internal file security. THCI uses reasonable efforts to ensure that all personal information is protected from Internet access in a secured area and can only be accessed by authorized Tufts Health Care Institute employees. Users should be aware that e-mail is not necessarily secure against interception and that any information considered sensitive by the user should be delivered to THCI by postal mail or telephone.

Changes to this policy and Use of the Web Site
Although Tufts Health Care Institute does not intend to change its privacy-confidentiality policy, it reserves the right to do so at any time. THCI will inform users of the THCI Web Site of any change in THCI's privacy policy by posting the changed policy on our web site. You should check the THCI site periodically to view our current privacy policy. By using THCI's web site, you agree to the provisions of our privacy policy and to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.

Unsolicited E-mail as a Result of Participation in a Member Community
At Tufts Health Care Institute, we recognize that the value of open, discussion-based member communities is in the free exchange of information and communication on a given subject, and that preventing unsolicited e-mails is vital to the health and value of these communities. Tufts Health Care Institute is committed to preventing abuse of the Member communities to the full extent of our abilities within reason. If you are the victim of unsolicited e-mail advertising on a Tufts Health Care Institute list, or one claiming to be sent from Tufts Health Care Institute, please forward it to thci@thci.org. We will make every reasonable effort to stop unsolicited advertising to our members.

Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding THCI's Privacy - Confidentiality Policy please contact THCI:
Phone: 617-636-1000
Email: thci@thci.org
Mail: 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111