WEBSITE TERMS OF USE

WEBSITE DISCLAIMER

Welcome to the UPMC website. By using our site, you agree to the following terms of use, which constitute an agreement between UPMC and you.

  1. This website is designed for general patient educational and information purposes only and does not render medical advice or professional services, unless we otherwise indicate. The information provided through this website should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional health care, and is designed to support – not replace – the relationship you have with your health care provider. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your health care provider.
  2. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency medical services immediately. If you are seeking a referral or consultation with a medical expert, please contact the UPMC Consumer Referral Service, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 1-800-533-UPMC.
  3. UPMC disclaims any liability whatsoever for any documentation, information, programs, software, or other material that is or may become a part of the website. UPMC does not warrant or guarantee that the information will not be offensive to any user and/or may not meet your needs and requirements.
  4. Our website may include links to third party Web service providers. These links are provided solely as a convenience to you and not as an endorsement of the content on such sites. We are not responsible for the content of linked third-party sites.
  5. UPMC adheres to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation and we aim to follow these principles in the preparation of material we have placed on our site.
  6. This site uses ClickTale web analytics service. ClickTale may record mouse clicks, mouse movements, scrolling activity as well as any text you type in this website. ClickTale does not collect personally identifiable information that you do not voluntarily enter in this website. ClickTale does not track your browsing habits across web sites which do not use ClickTale services. For more information see Privacy Policy for Information Collected by the ClickTale Web Analytics Service. We are using the information collected by the ClickTale service to help improve the user experience on UPMC.com.

    You can choose to disable the Service at http://www.clicktale.net/disable.html.

WEBSITE PRIVACY STATEMENT

  1. Modern information and communication technologies play a fundamental role in the activities of an organization like UPMC. We are based in the United States of America. Our principal activity is the delivery of health care services.
  2. Our Privacy Statement covers the UPMC, its subsidiaries and any of its websites accessible via the primary websites listed below:
Organization Name: UPMC
Address: 200 Lothrop St.
City, Zip: Pittsburgh, 15213
State: PA
Country: USA
Primary websites: www.upmc.com; www.upmc.edu
  1. You can access our website home page and browse our site without disclosing your personal data.
  2. We collect the personal information that you may volunteer while using our services.
  3. We do not collect information about our visitors from sources outside of UPMC, such as public records or bodies, or private organizations.
  4. We do not collect or use personal data for any purpose other than that indicated on the Web pages where the information is requested or collected.
  5. If we wish to use your personal information for a new purpose, we offer you the means to consent to this new purpose by indicating in a box at the point on the site where personal data is collected.
  6. Except as requested by you or indicated on the Web page where your information is requested, we do not disclose your personal information to other organizations.

CHILDREN’S PRIVACY

We are committed to protecting the privacy of children. You should be aware that the UPMC website is not intended or designed to attract children under the age of 13. We do not collect personally identifiable information from any person we actually know is a child under the age of 13.

SECURITY POLICY

UPMC is committed to complying with all federal, state, and local laws, as well as applicable regulations, standards, and guidelines established by government agencies and accepted accrediting organizations.

We will provide a secure transmission method for you to send us personal information, including:

  • Primary personal information (such as name and contact details)
  • Identifiers (such as social security numbers, credit card details, website password)\
  • Specific personal information (such as survey information, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, medical information)

While such secure transmission methods provide reasonable protections against unauthorized access, if you have concerns regarding the transmission of sensitive information (such as medical information), you should consider using non-electronic communication methods.

We have implemented security policies, rules, and technical measures to protect the personal data that we have under our control from:

  • Unauthorized access
  • Improper use or disclosure
  • Unauthorized modification
  • Unlawful destruction or accidental loss

All our employees and data processors who have access to, and are associated with, the processing of personal information are obliged to respect the confidentiality of our visitors’ personal information.

CONTENT REVIEW

UPMC’s goal is to provide high quality health information through the content on its websites. Every effort has been made to provide accurate, timely, and comprehensive information that will be useful to its readers.

We define content as all material (text, images, graphics, tables, audio, and visual) and menu icons, bars, listings, indices, as well as functions that support content such as links, navigation, searches, and calculations.

UPMC uses original, stock, and purchased photography on the website. The individuals portrayed in the images are models and are not intended to imply endorsement or any association with any illness or condition.

The information provided on this website was authored by, or has been reviewed and approved by, health care professionals at UPMC. Some of the consumer education information on the website is provided through a contract with EBSCO Publishing.

We follow a standard set of editorial procedures for information that we post on our websites. However, we don’t offer you any warranty or guarantee related to our sites; we specifically disclaim any warranties, expressed or implied. It is the responsibility of visitors to our site to evaluate the information we provide and determine its relevancy and usefulness to them.

We welcome your feedback about the content provided on the UPMC website. However, we must make the final decisions about the information that is posted on our site to ensure that it meets the needs of all of our users.

Please contact us with any comments or concerns regarding the content on our website.

RESTRICTIONS ON USE

By using our website, you agree to the following terms of use, which constitute an agreement between UPMC and you.

We may change these terms from time to time. You may view the most current version through the link that appears on the bottom of all pages on our website.

UPMC owns the information on this website. The entire contents and design of this site are protected under U.S. and international copyright laws. You may look at our website online, download information to your computer to read later, or print copies of pages for yourself, your family, or your friends. However, you must not remove any copyright notices from our materials. We reserve all other rights, which means that you must not sell our information, rewrite or modify it, redistribute it, use it on your own website, or use it for any other commercial purpose without our prior written permission.

We usually permit other organizations to provide a simple link from their site to ours. However, you must first ask our permission if you intend to frame our site or incorporate pieces of it into a different site or product in a way that could confuse our users. To request permission, please e-mail the Webmaster (webmaster@upmc.edu).

UPMC controls our websites from our offices in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. By accessing our websites, regardless of where you are located, you agree that the statutes and laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will apply to all matters regarding the use of our websites.

By accessing our website, you agree with these terms and conditions. We reserve the right to change the terms and conditions when necessary, and your continuing use of our website constitutes your acceptance of and agreement to any changes.

NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL ADVICE

The contents of the UPMC website, such as text, graphics, images, information obtained from UPMC’s licensors, and other material contained on the UPMC.COM and UPMC.EDU websites (“Content”) are for informational purposes only and does not render medical advice or professional services. The information provided through this website should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your health care provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on UPMC’s website.

UPMC disclaims any liability whatsoever for any documentation, information, programs, software, or other material which is or may become a part of the website. UPMC does not warrant or guarantee that the information will not be offensive to any user. User is hereby put on notice that by accessing and using the website, user assumes the risk that the information and documentation contained in the website may be offensive and/or may not meet the needs and requirements of the user.

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency medical services immediately. If you are seeking a referral or consultation with a medical expert, please contact the UPMC Consumer Referral Service, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 1-800-533-UPMC.

EMAIL TERMS OF USE

E-MAIL DISCLAIMER

UPMC will use reasonable means to protect the privacy of your health information sent by e-mail. However, because of the risks outlined below, UPMC cannot guarantee that e-mail communications will be confidential. Additionally, UPMC will not be liable in the event that you or anyone else inappropriately uses your e-mail. UPMC will not be liable for improper disclosure of your health information that is not caused by UPMC’s intentional misconduct. 

E-MAIL RISKS AND YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

At the discretion of the UPMC, its staff, physicians and agents (UPMC) and upon your agreement to the terms outlined within this consent form, you may use e-mail to communicate with UPMC. These e-mails may contain your personal health information. If you decide to use e-mail to communicate with UPMC, you should be aware of the following risks and/or your responsibilities:

  1. As the Internet is not secure or private, unauthorized people may be able to intercept, read and possibly modify e-mail you send or are sent by UPMC.
  2. You must protect your e-mail account, password and computer against access by unauthorized people.
  3. Since e-mail can be used to spread viruses, some which cause e-mail messages to be sent to people who you do not intend to send e-mail messages to, you should install and maintain virus protection software on your PC.
  4. Since e-mails can be copied, printed and forwarded by people to whom you send e-mails, you should be careful regarding whom you send e-mails.
  5. As your employer may claim ownership of, or the right to access, the e-mail account issued to you by your e-mail, you should avoid using an employer issued e-mail account to communicate with UPMC.

CONDITIONS FOR THE USE OF E-MAIL

By consenting to the use of e-mail with UPMC, you agree that:

  1. UPMC may forward e-mails as appropriate for diagnosis, treatment, reimbursement, and other related reasons. As such, UPMC staff members, other than the recipient, may have access to e-mails that you send. Such access will only be to such persons who have a right to access your e-mail to provide services to you. Otherwise, UPMC will not, otherwise, forward e-mails to independent third parties without your prior written consent, except as authorized or required by law.
  2. Although UPMC will try to read and respond promptly to your e-mails, UPMC staff may not read your e-mail immediately. Therefore, you should not use e-mail to communicate with UPMC if there is an emergency or where you require an answer in a short period of time.
  3. If your e-mail requires or asks for a response, and you have not received a response within a reasonable time period, it is your responsibility to follow up directly with UPMC.
  4. You should carefully consider the risk of using e-mail for the communication of sensitive medical information, such as, but not limited to, information regarding sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS/HIV, mental health, developmental disability, or substance abuse.
  5. You should carefully word your e-mail messages so the information provided clearly, yet briefly, describes the information you intend to convey. You should avoid writing long “chatty” e-mails.
  6. You are responsible for correcting any unclear or incorrect information.
  7. UPMC reserves the right to save your e-mail and include your e-mail or information contained within your e-mail in your medical record.
  8. It is the patient’s responsibility to follow up and/or schedule an appointment if warranted or recommended by UPMC.
  9. E-mails may not be the only form of communication that UPMC will use to communicate with you. Additionally, UPMC may decide that it is not in your best interest to continue to communicate with you by e-mail. In such case, UPMC will notify that it no longer intends to communicate with you by e-mail.

E-MAIL INSTRUCTIONS

  1. You shall immediately inform those individuals with whom you communicate with at UPMC of changes in your e-mail address.
  2. You shall send e-mails only to such UPMC e-mail addresses as instructed.
  3. You shall put your name and such other information as is necessary for UPMC to identify you in the body of the e-mail.
  4. You shall include the category of the communications in the e-mail’s subject line, for handling purposes (e.g. prescription, appointment, medical advice, billing question, etc.)
  5. Prior to sending the e-mail, you shall review the e-mail to make sure it is clear and that all relevant or requested information is provided.
  6. You consent to communicate by e-mail by sending an e-mail to all of the e-mail addresses (mailboxes) that you had previously communicated to.


CONTACTING US

Should you have any questions regarding these Terms of Use, the Privacy Statement, or the collection, retention, or management of any information on this website, please send an e-mail to: webmaster@upmc.edu