Privacy Policy

Introduction

Protecting the privacy of our visitors is our topmost concern. 

Since our inception in 1996, Mediconsult has set the standard for online privacy and security and the protection of visitor interests. These policies exceed the guidelines established by the Health on the Net (Geneva) Code of Conduct guidelines, TRUSTe, and the Federal Trade Commission.

Our policies are clear and easily accessible on the site. In addition we have established practices and procedures to ensure that our policies are effectively implemented. These practices include training of staff, separation of duties, storage of data, password controls and oversight by our Chief Medical Officer.

We have taken a third step in engaging outside independent audits of our policies and practices by organizations including IBM eCommerce, Price Waterhouse Coopers, legal firm Arent Fox, and TRUSTe

Mediconsult's family of web sites adhere to guidelines outlined in a "Visitor Bill Of Rights" which is easily accessible through all of our consumer sites.

As a leader in setting security standards on the Internet, Mediconsult has partnered with the Internet Healthcare Coalition- a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to improving the quality of health resources on the Internet. Mediconsult is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics, an industry group established to promote self-regulation and ethical behavior among leading health web sites. Mediconsult provided a financial commitment to support the creation of ethical standards that ensure consumers receive information that is reliable, safe and trustworthy.

Click here to read our Privacy Policy
Click here to read our Visitor Bill of Rights
Click here to read about our newsletters
Click here to read about our surveys
Click here to read about bulletin board policies
Click here to read about DoubleClick ad technology and Privacy Policies
Click here to learn about cookies

PRIVACY POLICY

Mediconsult.com, Inc. has very strict policies and procedures designed to protect the privacy of our visitors. We will never share your personal information with any external organization without your consent. We do not sell any personal information about our visitors, including email addresses. Any personal information you do wish to provide is protected internally.

All personnel with access to personal information are aware of our policies. Any breach of policy would result in immediate dismissal.

We use aggregated information to determine trends and visitor needs. Some aggregated information is analyzed and used as input to improve our site or is presented to clients as market research; however, no personal information is divulged. Commerce partners who are privy to personal information (such as the product purchased and the name and address of the purchaser) have also been screened to ensure they have appropriate policies in place.

It is important to note that when you click on a link that takes you off our site, this Privacy Statement no longer applies.

Visitor Bill of Rights

To read our Visitor Bill of Rights, please click here.

Our Newsletters

If you decide to submit your email address to us in order to be added to our mailing list, you may be assured that you will not receive separate emails from other marketers as a result of joining our newsletter. You will receive no offers from our sites other than those made through the newsletter itself, which, of course, you have elected to receive. You may unsubscribe at any time through the text and link provided in the newsletter. There is no means on the site to allow you to unsubscribe.

Our Surveys

You may elect to respond to our brief on-site Visitor Surveys. Some of the information requested is of a personal nature but there is certainly no obligation to answer every question. In particular, submission of your email address is entirely optional. If you do opt to include your email address, it is used only for the purpose of adding you to our newsletter mailing list and is not linked to the survey. We use the information gathered to help improve our understanding of your needs and preferences in order to provide you with the best medical information. Large population demographics are compiled and published using this data but no individual information is ever disseminated.

Our Bulletin Boards and Support Group Policies

Our Support Groups have a bulletin board format that allows our visitors the opportunity to interact with our on-line community for their specific medical condition. These areas are moderated by medical professionals strictly to keep inappropriate messages from being posted. You are offered the opportunity to include your email address with your message but you are not obligated to do so. If you do include your email address then it is visible to the general public on the bulletin board and we cannot control the actions of any 3rd parties. We will not sell email addresses from our bulletin boards.
About DoubleClick ad technology

Mediconsult sites deliver banner ads and sponsorship announcements using DoubleClick DART ad technology. The DART system allows us to deliver targeted information based on customer traffic patterns within Mediconsult. We maintain control of this information and do not use it for any purpose other than to enhance the visitor experience.

Mediconsult does NOT use the DoubleClick Abacus Online service.

DoubleClick Usage and Privacy Policy

Internet user privacy is of paramount importance to DoubleClick, our advertisers and our Web publishers. The success of our business depends upon our ability to maintain the trust of our users. Below is information regarding DoubleClick's commitment to protect the privacy of users and to ensure the integrity of the Internet.

Information Collected in Ad Delivery

In the course of delivering an ad to you, DoubleClick does not collect any personally-identifiable information about you, such as your name, address, phone number or email address. DoubleClick does, however, collect non-personally identifiable information about you, such as the server your computer is logged onto, your browser type (for example, Netscape or Internet Explorer), and whether you responded to the ad delivered.

The non-personally identifiable information collected by DoubleClick is used for the purpose of targeting ads and measuring ad effectiveness on behalf of DoubleClick's advertisers and Web publishers who specifically request it. For additional information on the information that is collected by DoubleClick in the process of delivering an ad to you, please click here.

There are also cases when a user voluntarily provides personal information in response to an ad (a survey or purchase form, for example). In these situations, DoubleClick (or a third party engaged by DoubleClick) collects the information on behalf of the advertiser and/or Web site. This information is used by the advertiser and/or Web site so that you can receive the goods, services or information that you requested. Where indicated, DoubleClick may use this information in aggregate form to get a better general understanding of the type of individuals viewing ads or visiting the Web sites. Unless specifically disclosed, the personally-identifiable information collected by DoubleClick in these cases is not used to deliver personally-tailored ads to a user and is not linked by DoubleClick to any other information.

If you do not wish to be included in DoubleClick's profiling initiatives, please click here for information on the DoubleClick opt-out program.

Cookies

A cookie is a very tiny piece of text we're asking permission to place on your computer's hard drive. If you accept a cookie, then your browser adds the text in a small file. The purpose of the file is to let us know when you visit www.mediconsult.com. This text, by itself, merely tells us that a previous visitor has returned; it doesn't tell us anything else (who you are, your email address, or anything personal). They are similar to the stamp placed on the back of a child's hand when visiting a fair or carnival; they merely indicate that you have visited before.

Cookies help us evaluate your use of our site, such as what kind of information you want to see and what kind you will never read. Cookie technology allows Web sites to ask for your registration and preference questions only once. The next time you return to the Web site you will not necessarily need to "sign in" again. Remember that cookies are "non-executable" pieces of code; that is, they are incapable of doing anything to your hard drive.

Cookies are easy to delete from your hard drive; talk to your systems administrator or your Internet provider for detailed instructions.

If you would like to know more about cookies we encourage you to read the US Government Information Bulletin (I-034) regarding cookie technology at: http://www.ciac.org/ciac/bulletins/i-034.shtml.