Privacy Policy

University Hospitals (“UH”) is committed to protecting the privacy of visitors to UH’s website and/or mobile application (collectively, the “Site”). Information gathered on our Site is used to monitor our effectiveness in providing relevant and credible health information, and in answering questions.

What information do we collect?

This Site recognizes and collects, when possible, the domain name of a visitor’s server (for example, uhhospitals.org or aol.com). We do not automatically collect the full e-mail address of visitors to our Site. The only way we obtain your name or e-mail address is when you choose to provide that information to us. Please note that our forms are NOT encrypted unless otherwise noted. Therefore, people who are actively snooping on Internet traffic may read information you send us. But once the information is sent to our Site, it is kept in secure databases where it is not available to users on the Internet. Examples of how you might provide us with information about you include:

• E-mailing us with a comment or question;
• Subscribing to our e-mail notification service;
• Completing a survey or feedback form;
• Requesting an appointment.

We do not respond to any questions concerning specific medical conditions. If you transmit such information, while we will not intentionally release it or make it public, we cannot assure you that the information will be kept private. We urge you not to send such information by e-mail or other functionality available through this Site.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if you use the “Schedule Me Now” functionality available through the Site, you will be required to create or use a pre-existing user name and password. Any information collected through the “Schedule Me Now” functionality will be treated as confidential and subject to the University Hospitals HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices. UH agrees to maintain any information submitted through the “Schedule Me Now” functionality in compliance with its legal obligations pursuant to all applicable privacy laws, including, without limitation, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), as amended from time to time, and its implementing regulations. All other information submitted through the Site may be treated as non-confidential and nonproprietary as described above and in the Terms & Conditions for the Site.

How do we use the information we collect?

UH does not sell, trade or rent personal information about its Site visitors.

The information we collect about the domain name of the server from which you are visiting is aggregated and used solely to determine the number of visitors to our Site each day, and sources of traffic.

E-mail addresses provided by visitors are used to respond to comments submitted through our feedback form, surveys, and other forms, when indicated. E-mail addresses provided when subscribing to e-mail bulletins are used to distribute the bulletins via e-mail to subscribers.

If a Site visitor asks us to send material that cannot be transmitted electronically, we will need to know the visitor’s name, e-mail address and mailing address. We will use that information only to fulfill the visitor’s request.

Site visitors who complete a survey and indicate a willingness to participate in future surveys are asked to provide their name, e-mail address and telephone number. That information may be shared with carefully screened market research firms with which we have a business relationship.

How can I get my name removed from your files?

If you do not want to receive e-mail from UH, please let us know by sending an e-mail notification to Webeditor@UHhospitals.org. When you write, it is imperative that you provide the following information so that we can be sure to honor your request:

• Your full name
• Your active e-mail address (If you use more than one e-mail address, send a message to us from each of your e-mail accounts.)
• A sentence asking that your e-mail address be removed from our files.
• The specific name of the e-mail bulletin(s) that you no longer wish to receive.

We will process your request as quickly as possible.

What about “cookies”?

“Cookies” are small pieces of information that are stored by your web browser on your computer’s hard drive. They permit UH to recognize you and your access privileges on this Site, as well as to track Site usage. You can usually change your browser setting to prevent acceptance of cookies. Check with your Internet Service Provider for assistance in changing this setting. However, if you wish to access areas that are personalized for your use, cookies will have to be active.

Your consent

By using our Site, you consent to the collection and use of the information discussed above by University Hospitals. Changes in this policy will be posted here so that you may always be aware of what information is being collected, how it is being used, and under what circumstances it is being disclosed.

Epic & UH MyChart

UH MyChart may interact with your sensitive data to provide certain features, such as video visits or mobile appointment check-in. The first time you try to use any of these features, we will ask for your consent within the app and will only allow you to use a feature if you give consent. You do not have to provide consent if you do not want to allow UH MyChart to interact with your data as requested. UH MyChart is developed by Epic Systems Corporation; please refer to Epic’s Mobile Application Privacy Policy for Patients for more detailed information about the limited ways they may interact with your information to make your use of UH MyChart possible.

UH MyChart may offer location-based check-in for in-person appointments or allow you to find healthcare providers near you. The first time you try to use any features that use your location, we will ask for your consent within the app and will only access your location if you give consent. You do not have to provide consent if you do not want to allow UH MyChart to use your location. We do not store your location data.

UH MyChart shares data with third parties for statistical and analytical purposes. UH MyChart shares data with: Invoca and Google Analytics.

Tell us what you think

UH welcomes your questions and comments about privacy. Please send your comments via e-mail to Webeditor@UHhospitals.org.