Legal and Privacy Statement

Welcome to the Public Health Data Standards Consortium (PHDSC) Web site. PHDSC is a voluntary confederation of federal, state and local health agencies; national and local professional associations; public and private sector organizations; and individuals. The overall goal of the confederation is to promote data standards for population health practice and research.

Please read all of the information in this section carefully. References to "PHDSC", "we", "us" and "our" are references to Public Health Data Standards Consortium and its affiliates. By accessing the PHDSC Web site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand the terms of the Legal and Privacy Statement. Click on the links below for complete details.

• User Agreement
  When you access this site, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to abide by the terms described in the User Agreement.
• Content Usage
  Our Content Usage Policy specifies how the information on this site may and may not be used.
• Internet Privacy Policy
  The PHDSC Privacy Policy details our online information practices, including the use of personal information and our commitment to data security.
• Copyrights
  The reprinting, copying, and distribution of materials found on the PHDSC Web site are subject to the terms of our Copyright agreement.
• Disclaimers
  The Disclaimers section outlines our legal liability for the accuracy and completeness of information on our Web site as well as our position on endorsing commercial products and services.
• Accessibility
  The PHDSC Accessibility policy outlines our commitment to ensuring that all users have access to the information contained on our Web site.
• Governing Laws
  The User Agreement and your use of our Web site shall be governed by the laws of the entities represented in this section.
• Miscellaneous
  Additional information regarding our Legal and Privacy Statement are contained in this section.

User Agreement

The information provided on this site is for general informational and educational purposes. Your access to and use of the information contained in the Web site is subject to this User Agreement. By accessing and using this Web site, you accept, without limitation or qualification, this User Agreement.

Indemnification: You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless PHDSC, its officers, directors, employees, agents, suppliers and third party partners from and against all losses, expenses, damages and costs, including reasonable attorneys' fee, resulting from any violation by you on these Terms of Use.

Privacy: PHDSC respects the privacy of its Web site users. Please refer to PHDSC's Internet Privacy Policy that explains users' rights and responsibilities with respect to information that is disclosed on this Web site.

Content Usage

PHDSC will use reasonable efforts to include accurate and up-to-date information on this Web site but PHDSC makes no warranties or representations of any kind as to its accuracy, currency or completeness. You agree that access to and use of this Web site and the content thereof if at your own risk. Neither PHDSC nor any party involved in creating, producing, or delivering this Web site shall be liable for any damages, including without limitation, direct, incidental, consequential, indirect or punitive damages, arising out of access to, use of or inability to use this Web site, or any errors or omissions in the content thereof. This limitation includes damages to, or for any viruses that infect your computer equipment.

Internet Privacy Policy

Our Commitment to Privacy
The Public Health Data Standards Consortium (PHDSC) respects the privacy of every individual who visits www.phdsc.org ("Web site"). This notice explains our online information practices. Because your privacy is important to us, we provide you with notice and choices about the collection and use of your information. To make this notice easy to find, links are provided at the bottom of our homepage and on every page within our Web site. Additionally, any page that requests personally identifiable information reminds you of the importance of your privacy and provides a link to the privacy policy. By visiting PHDSC at www.phdsc.org, you accept the practices described in this Legal and Privacy Statement.
 

Use of Cookies
Cookies are small files that are sent to your Web browser and stored on your computer's hard drive, and are intended to improve your Web site experience. We do not use cookies.

Data Collection & Use
We collect two types of information:

1. Standard Web server traffic pattern information. General traffic, site usage, and length of stay information is collected and stored in log files.
2. Personal information. We do not collect personally identifiable information from you unless you provide it to us voluntarily and knowingly. If you join our membership, or request information, we may collect the following information: first and last name, organization, street address, city, state, zip code, telephone number, and e-mail address.

Your personal information will only be used for the purpose it was intended.

Data Security
We are committed to protecting the security of your personal information and to honoring your choices for its intended use. To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we strive to maintain physical, electronic, and administrative safeguards.

Site visitors should refrain from sending confidential information by e-mail. Site visitors sending e-mail accept the risk that a third party may intercept e-mail messages.

Links to External Sites & PHDSC

External Links
PHDSC encourages nonprofit organizations, government agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations to link to our Web site. The URL for the home page is: www.phdsc.org. You are welcome to link to the home page or any other page(s) on phdatastandards.info. Please note that you may link to the PHDSC's Web site without permission or charge.

Linking to phdatastandards.info
PHDSC encourages nonprofit organizations, government agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations to link to our Web site. The URL for the home page is: http://www.phdatastandards.info. You are welcome to link to the home page or any other page(s) on phdatastandards.info. Please note that you may link to the PHDSC’s Web site without permission or charge.

Policy Updates
This Legal and Privacy Statement will be updated periodically and posted on our Web site. It applies only to our online practices and does not encompass other areas of the organization. When the Legal and Privacy Statement changes in a way that significantly affects the way we handle personal information, we will not use the information we have previously gathered without providing notice or obtain your consent when appropriate. We reserve the right to change this statement at any time by posting revisions. You agree to review the Legal and Privacy Statement each time you use our Web site so that you are aware of any modifications. By accessing or using the Web site, you agree to be bound by all of the terms and conditions of the PHDSC Legal and Privacy Statement as posted at the time of your access or use.

Contact Us
If you have any questions about our statement or our compliance, click here to send us your feedback.

Copyrights*

Information on the PHDSC Web site is in the public domain. Public domain information may be freely distributed and copied, but it is requested that in any subsequent use the information be given appropriate acknowledgement.

Materials may be photocopied for classroom or conference use without prior permission. Nonprofit organizations, government agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations are encouraged to reprint the PHDSC's information with proper attribution. We grant reprinting permission free of charge.

Finally, please note that the Consortium's Web site contains materials published by other organizations. Inquiries, permissions, and reprint requests for such materials should be directed to the appropriate author or publisher. The permissions above apply only to the PHDSC's materials.

Disclaimers

Liability: For documents available from this server, the PHDSC does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed.

Endorsement: PHDSC does not endorse or recommend any commercial products, processes, or services.

Pop-Up Advertisements: When visiting our Web site, your Web browser may produce pop-up advertisements. These advertisements were most likely produced by other Web sites you visited or by third party software installed on your computer. The Public Health Data Standards Consortium does not endorse or recommend products or services for which you may view a pop-up advertisement on your computer screen while visiting our Web site.*

Accessibility

The Public Health Data Standards Consortium is making every effort to ensure that the information available on our Web site is accessible to all.

If you use special adaptive equipment to access the Web and encounter problems when using our Web site, please let us know. Please e-mail us at Accessibility and provide the address (URL) of the page on which you need assistance, along with a description of the problem.

Miscellaneous

If any provision of this Agreement is held to be unlawful, void or unenforceable, then such provision shall be severable without affecting the enforceability of all remaining provisions. The PHDSC reserves the right to alter or delete materials from this Web site at any time at its discretion.

* This is a feature that may be incorporated into the PHDSC structure in the future.