TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE

All the medical/genetc content on this website was created by a board-certified genetic counselor and reviewed or edited by a medical geneticist, Rebecca Sutphen, M.D., FACMG. This website (our "Site") describes and facilitates some of the genetic counseling and other services (the "Services") of INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS, INC. BY USING THIS SITE AND INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS' SERVICES YOU ARE AGREEING TO ALL OF THESE "TERMS AND CONDITIONS" AND THE INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS "PRIVACY POLICY". These Terms and Conditions and our Privacy Policy are set forth below in five numbered sections.  In each section below on this page, for your convenient review, we provide a short synopsis together with a link to the more detailed version.  By using our Site, you are agreeing to all of the Terms and Conditions in the synopsis and in the more detailed version. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ALL OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE.

1. PRIVACY POLICY

Our privacy policy is designed to protect your personal information and genetic data, using commercially reasonable technical and internal privacy practices. CLICK HERE TO READ  PRIVACY POLICY.

2. OTHER LINKED SITES

For your convenience our Site contains links to websites operated by companies other than INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS ("Third Party Websites") that we believe may be of interest to you.  We do not share your personal information or genetic data with Third Party Websites, and we are not responsible or liable for any privacy or other practices of any of the Third Party Websites. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL TEXT.

3. COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARKS

This Site and its format and contents are owned (or licensed) and operated by INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS, INC, which has provided the total funding for the Site.  Except where otherwise indicated, all of the content, copyright, and trademarks on the Site are the sole property of INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS.  A printout for your personal use is permitted, and you may request permission for other uses. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL TEXT.

4. DISCLAIMERS REGARDING THE USE OF SITE, MEDICAL ADVICE AND HEALTH INFORMATION

Any and all use of this Site is subject to several specific legal conditions and disclaimers, without which this Site would not be possible.  Among other things, these provisions clarify that neither INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS nor this Site provides medical advice, that you should always seek the advice of your doctor regarding any medical decision, that we are not responsible for your acts or material or those of third parties, and that we make no promises, warranty or representation regarding the Site or its contents. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL TEXT.

5. INDEMNIFICATION AND HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT

If a third party sues or makes a claim against us as a result of your use of this Site or our Services, you will be responsible for defending INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS and for any damages that result. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL TEXT.

PRIVACY POLICY

INTRODUCTION

INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS, INC., as a provider of internet health care services, is very sensitive to privacy issues. We respect your right to privacy and feel it is important for you to know how we handle the information we receive from you via the Internet. Additionally, our online and offline business practices are in full compliance with the privacy requirements under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

This Privacy Policy governs your interaction with the INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS website ("Site"), and your registration for and use of INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS service. By using this Site, you agree to the collection and use of information as set forth in this Policy. If you do not agree to this Policy, please do not use the INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS website. This Policy is the sole authorized statement of our practices concerning the collection, use and protection of your Personal and Family Health Information through the Site.  INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS reserves the right to modify or amend this Privacy Policy at any time.

INFORMATION COLLECTED BY INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS

INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS never rents, loans or otherwise discloses your contact information except in those limited circumstances as may be required by applicable law.  We may contact you in the future to determine your satisfaction with our services and to share new service offerings.

Non-Personal Information

If you do not use the tools, features or services offered on or through the Site, the only information INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS collects will be Non-Personal Information (i.e., information that is not traceable back to you and cannot be used to identify you). Non Personal Information includes information such as the web pages that you have viewed through the use of Cookies (i.e., small data files that are stored on the hard drive of a computer used to view websites that are accessible only by the party or site that placed the Cookie on the hard drive.).

Your Online Preferences Regarding Cookies

INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS uses "cookie" technology to obtain usage information from our online visitors. You may disable your cookie information by adjusting your browser preferences on your personal computer at any time.  Cookies do not identify a specific user and are not used by INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS to collect any personal information or behavior that would identify you.

In order to provide the best possible service and relevant information to you, we use cookies and aggregate non-personally identifiable information and usage patterns to:

• Track resources and data accessed on the Site per visitor
• Record general Site statistics and activity
• Assist users experiencing Site problems
• Improve our Site and services

Personally Identifiable Information and Personal and Family Health Information

If you choose to schedule a telephone consultation with an INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS genetic counselor, we require you to submit Personally Identifiable Information (such as your name, home address, telephone number and email address) as well as Personal and Family Health Information. You are responsible for providing accurate Personally Identifiable Information as well as Personal and Family Health Information to INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS. Inaccuracies in any of the information you provide may directly affect the cancer risk, genetic test, and medical management information you receive through INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS' telephone genetic counseling process and may affect our ability to contact you in the future. Most importantly, your preferred contact email address should be kept current, because that is the primary manner in which INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS will communicate with you.

PROTECTING YOUR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

This Site employs advanced technology (encryption provided through an SSL certificate) which aims to secure all of your interactions with INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS. We have taken precautionary measures to make any information received from online visitors as secure as possible against unauthorized access and use. We do not sell or share your personal identifying information.

However, it may be necessary for us to provide your information to contracted external contractors in order to respond to your inquiries and to provide you with services on our behalf. They may only use the information provided for the specified use and project, and they are subject to the same privacy and confidentiality obligations as INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS.

PHYSICAL STORAGE AND PROTECTION OF YOUR DATA

We have appropriate security measures in place in our physical facilities to protect against the loss, misuse or alteration of information that we have collected from you at our Site.

SAVING PERSONAL AND FAMILY HEALTH INFORMATION

As a service to the users of this Site, you may save partially-completed personal and medical history information and return to the Site at a later time to complete this information. In order to save this information, you will need to provide us with a unique password created by you.

In order to facilitate the genetic testing process, you are required to provide us with Personally Identifiable Information including health insurance details and your preferred e-mail and telephone contact information. INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS uses this Personally Identifiable Information as well as the Personal and Family Health Information you provide to us in order to facilitate the test order by your health care provider and to send you the test kit that you will need to conduct a specific genetic test.

DELETING YOUR PERSONAL AND/OR FAMILY HEALTH INFORMATION

If you want to delete your Personally Identifiable Information and/or Personal and Family Health Information from our systems or update the information that you have provided to us, you can email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Keep in mind, however, that there will be residual information that will remain within INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS databases, access logs and other records, which may or may not contain such Personally Identifiable Information and/or Personal and Family Health Information.  INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS reserves the right, from time to time, to re-contact former customers or users of this Site.

OUR ONLINE COMMUNICATION PRACTICES

E-Mail Correspondence - from INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS to you

Informed Medical Decisions sends the following types of information electronically to your preferred e-mail address:

• appointment reminders,
• invitations to participate in satisfaction and outcome surveys related to our services, and
• billing information, including invoices and collection notices.

E-mail Correspondence - from you to INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS

This Privacy Policy does not fully protect you when you send Personally Identifiable Information, Personal and Family Health Information, other information, feedback, suggestions, business ideas, or concepts to INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS by email. If you want to keep this information strictly private, do not send it to INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS in an email message. INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS makes every effort to respond to emails within 48 business hours.  However, this is not a guarantee.

DISCLOSURE OF YOUR PERSONAL AND/OR FAMILY HEALTH INFORMATION

This Privacy Policy serves as notice that INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS collects Personally Identifiable Information and Personal and Family Health Information in the manners described above. Except as set forth in this Privacy Policy or as specifically agreed to by you, INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS will not disclose any Personally Identifiable or Personal and Family Health Information it gathers from you on our Site. INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS will only release Personally Identifiable or Personal and Family Health Information to third parties: (a) to comply with valid legal requirements such as a law, regulation, search warrant, subpoena or court order; or (b) in special cases, such as a physical threat to you or others. In the event that we are legally compelled to disclose your Personally Identifiable Information or Personal and Family Health Information to a third party, we will attempt to notify you unless doing so would violate the law or court order. We cooperate with law enforcement agencies in identifying those who may be using our servers or services for illegal activities. We also reserve the right to report any suspected illegal activity to law enforcement individuals or entities for investigation or prosecution.

SUMMARY OF INFORMED MEDICAL DECISION'S SECURITY MEASURES

• INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS requires both a personal username (provided upon first exit from the online personal and family history tool) and a password (determined by the user) in order for users to access their Personally Identifiable Information or Personal and/or Family Health Information.
• INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS uses firewalls to protect information held on our servers.
• INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS utilizes Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption in transmitting Personally Identifiable Information to our servers. In order to take advantage of encryption technology, you must have an Internet browser which supports 128-bit encryption.
• INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS closely monitors the limited number of employees and contractors who could have access to your Personally Identifiable Information.
• INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS requires all INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS employees and contractors to abide by our Privacy Policy.
• INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS regularly backs up its systems to protect the integrity of your Personally Identifiable and Personal and/or Family Health Information.
• When you initiate data entry of your Personal and Family Health History through the Site's family history tool, a unique identifying number (UID) is automatically generated and assigned to you. This UID must be used to gain access to any of your specific Personal and/or Family Health Information at any time in the future.

Despite our efforts to protect your Personally Identifiable Information and Personal and/or Family Health Information, there is always some risk that an unauthorized third party may find a way around our security systems or that transmissions of your information over the Internet will be intercepted.

BY ACCESSING INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS SERVICES YOU ARE AGREEING TO INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS' "TERMS AND CONDITIONS" AND THIS "PRIVACY POLICY".

INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS does not disclose your Personally Identifiable Information or Personal and/or Family Health Information to these Third Party Websites. INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS does not endorse and is not responsible for the privacy practices of these Third Party Websites. If you choose to access any of these Third Party Websites, you should review the privacy policy posted on the other website to understand how that Third Party Website collects and uses your Personally Identifiable Information and Personal and/or Family Health Information.  You should also read the terms and conditions of use and privacy policy of any Third Party Website, which may be significantly different from our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

All trademarks, service marks and logos used on this Site, whether registered or unregistered, are the sole property of INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS, its licensors, contractors and others.  You may not use or display in any way any of the trademarks, service marks, logos or graphics used on our Site without prior written consent from us or the owner(s).

INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS does not contain any direct advertising of products or services outside of the genetic counseling services provided by our team of genetic counselors.  Our Site does not accept or host any outside advertisement or banners from any company, laboratory, institution or individual.

Unless otherwise indicated, all of the written and graphic content of this Site is copyrighted by and proprietary to the INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS, INC., and may not be copied, reproduced, transmitted, displayed, performed, distributed, sublicensed, altered, stored for subsequent use, or otherwise used in whole or in part in any manner without INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS' prior written consent, except that the user may make such temporary copies in a single computer's RAM and hard-drive cache as are necessary to browse the Web site, and the user may make one permanent printout of each page of the Web site to be used by the user for personal , non-public, and noncommercial uses that do not harm the reputation of the INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS.

To obtain permission to use or copy INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS' copyrighted materials (text, graphics, images, and artwork) from this Site or of other INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS printed materials; please fax your request to: 1.760.203.1188 (Attention: "Permission Request").

Please provide the following in your request:

• identify the exact INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS material you propose to use or copy, including the title of the document, page numbers, section titles, and copyright dates; to use information from the INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS Site, include the Web address (URL) and, if possible, attach a copy of the specific information you wish to use
• explain how the INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS information will be used and/or distributed and whether reprinted materials will be sold
• provide the precise full name and a description of the nature of your organization or business (for-profit, not-for-profit, etc.)
• include your contact information, including your telephone number, fax number, e-mail address, and mailing address

INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS may, but is not required to, grant permission to use portions of its proprietary materials if the material will be reproduced for educational purposes and will not be used in connection with commercial or for-profit activities.

• GENERAL
  1. THE FORMAT AND CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE ARE COPYRIGHTED PROPERTY OF THIS SITE. USERS MAY DOWNLOAD MATERIAL FROM THIS SITE PROVIDED THAT ANY REPRODUCTION OF THE MATERIAL IS FOR LEGAL, NON-COMMERCIAL PURPOSES, AND DOES NOT MATERIALLY ALTER THE MATERIAL.   (SEE SECTION 3 ABOVE.)
  2. IN PROVIDING LINKS, THE SITE DOES NOT INVESTIGATE THE CONTENT OF SUCH INFORMATION. THE SITE DOES NOT ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, WARRANT, OR RECOMMEND THE ACCURACY OF SUCH INFORMATION OR NECESSARILY SUBSCRIBE TO ANY SUCH OPINIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS.  (SEE SECTION 2 ABOVE.)
  3. FURTHER, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU MAKE USE OF ANY LINK TO ANY OTHER WEB SITE ON THE INTERNET, THE DISCLOSURE, REPRODUCTION, SALE OR DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION CONTAINED THEREIN MAY BE PROHIBITED.
• HEALTH RELATED INFORMATION
  1. THE CONTENT OF THIS SITE IS NOT INTENDED IN ANY WAY TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER QUALIFIED HEALTH PROVIDER WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING ANY MEDICAL CONDITION. NEITHER THE CONTENT OF THIS SITE NOR ANY OTHER PRODUCT OR SERVICE OFFERED BY OR THROUGH THE SITE IS INTENDED TO BE RELIED UPON FOR MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT.  TO SATISFY THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF CERTAIN STATES, WE MAY ENGAGE THE SERVICES OF A LICENSED PHYSICIAN OR OTHER LEGALLY AUTHORIZED PROVIDER IN ORDER TO PROVIDE CERTAIN SERVICES, BUT THIS WILL NOT CREATE A DOCTOR-PATIENT OR ANY OTHER RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.  NEVER DISREGARD MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY IN SEEKING IT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON THIS SITE! IN AN EMERGENCY CALL 911 OR YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE NUMBER.
  2. NEITHER INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS NOR ANY OF ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, OWNERS, STAFF, OR AGENTS MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY WITH RESPECT TO THE CONTENT OF THE SITE OR INFORMATION FURNISHED BY IT OR ANY OF ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AGENTS, EMPLOYEES OR REPRESENTATIVES, AND YOU USE THIS SITE AT YOUR OWN RISK.  INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, COMPLETENESS, TIMELINESS, CORRECTNESS, NONINFRINGEMENT, AND FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR USE, APPLICATION OR PURPOSE.
  3. INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS DOES NOT AND CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION ABOUT YOU WILL NOT BE ACCESSED BY UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS CAPABLE OF OVERCOMING EVEN THE BEST PRIVACY SAFEGUARDS.  IN PARTICULAR, OUR SITE MAY BE USED TO ACCESS AND TRANSFER INFORMATION, INCLUDING PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION ABOUT YOU, OVER THE INTERNET.  YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS DOES NOT OPERATE AND CANNOT CONTROL THE INTERNET AND THAT UNAUTHORIZED USERS (SUCH AS HACKERS) MAY USE VIRUSES, WORMS, TROJAN HORSES, AND OTHER UNETHICAL OR ILLEGAL METHODS TO OBTAIN ACCESS TO OR DAMAGE OUR SITE OR PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION ABOUT YOU.
  4. INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY CONSEQUENCE RELATING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY TO ANY ACTION OR INACTION YOU TAKE BASED ON OUR SITE, OUR SERVICES, OR OTHER CONTENT ON OR LINKED TO THE SITE.  YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR USE, INCLUDING ANY RELIANCE ON THEIR ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS OR USEFULNESS.  IN NO EVENT WILL INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS, ITS LICENSORS, AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY LOSS OF USE, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF DATA, COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES, OR ANY OTHER SUCH DAMAGES, HOWSOEVER CAUSED, NOR ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE AND STRICT LIABILITY) OR OTHERWISE RESULTING FROM THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE OUR SITE OR SERVICES; UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION, OTHER CONTENT OR ANY COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN YOU AND INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS; OR ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO OUR SITE OR THE SERVICES.  THESE LIMITATIONS WILL APPLY WHETHER OR NOT INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES AND NOTWITHSTANDING ANY FAILURE OF ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF ANY LIMITED REMEDY.  (SOME STATES MAY NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO ALL OR PORTIONS OF THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.)

As a user of this Site, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS, INC., its directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates, successors, assigns, vendors, advertisers, and clients from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, costs (including reasonable attorneys' fees) and other expenses arising from your use of this Site, violation of the Terms and Conditions for the use of this Site, or your violation of any law or your violation of the rights of INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS or any third party.  You agree to cooperate reasonably in the defense of any such claim or action, and you agree not to settle or compromise any such claim or action without the express written consent of INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS.  INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS reserves the right to assume the exclusive control of any such defense subject to indemnification hereunder.