Privacy policy

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research Registry is committed to protecting the privacy of our families. To better protect your privacy, we provide this notice explaining our information practices. To make this notice easy to locate, we make it available as a link on our home page. We define personal information to include: name(s), email address, mailing address, phone number, survey responses, registry information and non-public information included in your correspondence with us.

When you contact the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research at registry@stopsarcoidosis.org. or you use the contact form, your email address and other information included in your email may be forwarded to the appropriate person(s) within the FSR-SARC Registry or our professional advisors for a response. A copy of your correspondence may be retained at the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research home office and also by the responding individual. The FSR-SARC Registry has established and maintains a mailing database. The FSR-SARC Registry will never release our mailing list or the names of our member families to any outside organization or third party unless required to do so by law. However, if an outside organization sends us information for distribution to FSR-SARC Registry families, we may mail it to you after the Board approves the mailing only if you have specifically given permission for FSR to do so.

Information determined to be confidential can only be released by written or verbal permission by the subject of the information or organization that owns the information. Verbal permission may be valid in limited circumstances. Any general release must be in writing. Information may be released if required by law, such as in response to an investigation or subpoena. The FSR-SARC Registry web site provides links to other sites that may be of interest. The FSR-SARC Registry is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of other such web sites.

 The FSR-SARC Registry is firmly committed to maintaining the confidentiality of your personal information in all of our activities and programs. Every reasonable effort will be made to maintain the privacy and security of all personal information in our possession. Access to personal information will be limited to FSR-SARC Registry advisory board members and other individuals who have a need to use such information in the course of their work on approved projects. In all instances, this work will be directly overseen by a member of the FSR-SARC Registry Advisory Board. All individuals will be instructed in the confidentiality requirements of the organization.

You must read this Privacy Policy (the “Privacy Policy”) and the Website (defined below) terms of use (the “Terms and Conditions”) prior to using any portion of the FSR-SARC Registry. By using the Website, you agree to all the terms of the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, you may not use any portion of the Website.

The Website is owned and operated by the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, a national nonprofit organization. The FSR-SARC Registry respects your privacy and has written the Privacy Policy so that you are aware of the information this Registry collects from you, how that information is protected, and how it is used. If you have any questions or comments regarding the Privacy Policy, or you feel that FSR-SARC Registry is not abiding by its posted Privacy Policy, please contact us at: registry@stopsarcoidosis.org.

1. General

a. This Privacy Policy outlines the type of information FSR-SARC Registry collects from the users of the Website and how it is shared with other parties. We reserve the right to modify the Privacy Policy at any time, and without prior notice, by posting amended terms and conditions on the Website. We encourage you to review the Privacy Policy periodically for any updates or changes.

2. Collection, Use and Disclosure of Information

a. Collection of Information. All of the information you provide to FSR-SARC Registry will be maintained in a secure database, and any information that could identify you will not be shared without your express written consent, unless otherwise required by law.

b. Use and Disclosure of Information. The goal of this registry is to make the information you provided searchable, while protecting your identity. De-identified data (information where all personal identifiers such as name, address, social security number has been removed) gathered from this profile will be made available to registrants of the Website in the hope that analyses of a substantially larger database will support breakthroughs and clinical trials that could lead to better treatments and care management. The FSR-SARC Registry  registry will perform the searches for specific questions within the registry and provide de-identified reports back to you or the requesting party.

De-identified information may be disclosed to third parties and otherwise used in accordance with legal requirements.

The FSR-SARC Registry may employ independent contractors, vendors and suppliers (“Outside Contractors”) to provide specific services and products related to the Website or to the services provided on the Website, including but not limited to, performing general statistical analysis, maintaining an email suppression list as may be required by state and/or federal law, fraud screening, testing and implementation of special services to users, and developing applications for the Website and the services provided on the Website. 

3. Withdrawal of Information

a. At any time, you have the right to withdraw your information from the Website registry database. You may exercise this right by contacting the Foundation of Sarcoidosis Research at registry@stopsarcoidosis.org and your profile will be removed.

4. Protection of User Information

a. All users are required to review and abide by the Website Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy.

The information you enter in the Registry will be maintained in a secure database stored on secure servers located in the USA. The Registry uses a web-based software program built by Innolyst, Inc./PatientCrossroads, a US software company which is the authorized contractor for the NIH/NCATS/ORDR in the development of rare disease global registries. The program was designed in accordance with applicable US privacy protection provisions of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996). Innolyst, Inc., has developed and secured over 200 disease registries for the National Institutes of Health, patient advocacy groups, and other disease research organizations.

5. Ownership of Information

a. All of the information you provide to FSR-SARC Registry in connection with the Website is owned by the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research. Your information may contribute to the development of inventions or commercial products from which others may derive economic benefit. You will have no rights to any inventions, commercial products or other such discoveries and you will receive no economic benefit.

6. Cookies

a. When you visit the Website, we may send one or more cookies to your computer that will uniquely identify your browser.  A cookie is a piece of data stored on the user's hard drive containing information about the user. Cookies may be used by the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research and the FSR-SARC Registry to enable it to track and target the interests of users to enhance their experience on the Website. Usage of a cookie is in no way linked to any personally identifiable information while on the Website. If a user rejects the cookie, he or she may still use the Site.

7. Log Files; Web Beacons

a. The FSR-SARC Registry  may use log file information sent by your web browser (which may include information such as your web request, Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, browser type, browser language, referring/exit pages and URLs, platform type, and other information) to analyze trends, administer the Website, track the movement of users, and gather broad statistical information for aggregate use. IP addresses are not linked to personally identifiable information. The FSR-SARC Registry may also employ “web beacons” (also known as clear gifs) to track online usage patterns of users. This information is not linked to personally-identifiable information. Web beacons may also be employed for tracking and receipt purposes in connection with web-based emails we send to users.

8. Website Links

a. The Website may contain links to other web sites. This Privacy Policy applies solely to information collected on or submitted to the Website. The FSR-SARC Registry  is not responsible for the privacy practices of other sites linked to the Website. The FSR-SARC Registry encourages users to read the privacy policies of websites when they connect to them through the Website.

9. Communications From the FSR-SARC Registry

a. From time to time, FSR and the FSR-SARC Registry will notify users of updates and other valuable information about FSR-SARC Registry, the Website and related clinical and research information. By using the Website, or registering or subscribing for services provided on or through the Website, users consent to being contacted by the FSR-SARC Registry and related entities, and to receiving such updates and information. The FSR-SARC Registry encourages related entities, including its business partners, to follow best practices with respect to email communications, security and privacy. However, FSR-SARC Registry cannot control, and assumes no responsibility for, any contact of users by related entities, including its business partners. In the case of emails coming directly from FSR-SARC Registry such emails will clearly be from FSR-SARC Registry and will include instructions on how to unsubscribe from future emails.

10. Required Disclosures

a. You understand and agree that FSR and FSR-SARC Registry may disclose information provided by you if in its good faith belief such disclosure is required by applicable law.

11. Contact Us; Member Accounts

a. If you elect to contact FSR-SARC Registry  through contact information provided on the Website, or register for an account, you may be asked for any of the following: name, password, e-mail address, e-mail subject and a message containing your inquiry (in the case of a “contact us” inquiry), and certain profile and account information (in the case of a member account registration).The FSR-SARC Registry stores this data in order to reply to the submitted inquiry or to establish and service the member account. The submitted information is then subject to the terms detailed in this Privacy Policy.

12. Notification of Changes

You should review the Privacy Policy whenever you use the Website in order to be aware of the ways that your information is used. The FSR-SARC Registry reserves the right to change the Privacy Policy at any time, without prior notice. 

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