NHLBI Privacy Statement

Thank you for visiting the NHLBI Web site and reviewing our privacy policy.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, of which NHLBI is a part, does not disclose, give, sell, or transfer any personal information about visitors to its Web sites, unless required for law enforcement or by statute.

The NHLBI is committed to protecting your privacy. We will not collect any personal information about you when you visit our Web site (other than the standard information automatically collected and stored in the Web server's logs) unless you choose to provide it to us.

Detailed information regarding server logs, and voluntary submission of personal information, "cookies", security, and intrusion detection systems is provided below.

Information Collected and Stored Automatically

If you do nothing during your visit but browse through the Web site, read pages, or download information, we will gather and store certain information about your visit automatically. This information does not identify you personally. We automatically collect and store only the following information about your visit:

• Your computer's Internet Protocol (IP) address. (An IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer whenever you go on the Web.)
  
  
• The domain from which you access the Internet (for example, aol.com, if you are connecting from an America Online account, or WFU.edu if you are connecting from Wake Forest University's domain).
  
  
• The Internet address of the Web site, if any, from which you came to our site (for example, www.nih.gov if you come to our Web site by clicking on an NHLBI link on the National Institutes of Health Web site).
  
  
• The date and time you arrived at our site and how long you spent visiting the site.
  
  
• The name and version of your computer's operating system and browser: for example, Windows 95/Netscape Navigator 4.5. (This information is supplied automatically by your computer.)
  
  
• The pages you visit.

We use this information to help us make the site more useful to visitors -- to learn about the number of visitors to our site and the types of technology our visitors use. Unless it is specifically stated otherwise, no additional information will be collected about you.

If You Send Us Personal Information

If you choose to provide us with personal information, either by E-mail or by filling out a form and submitting it to us through the Web site, this information will not be released, disclosed, sold, or transferred to any outside source unless required for law enforcement or by statute.

If You Send Us E-mail

If you send us E-mail, we will collect and store your E-mail address and the content of the E-mail, including any personal information you chose to include, and will use it only to respond to your request quickly and accurately. However, E-mail is not necessarily secure against interception. If you are worried because your communication is very sensitive, you can send it by postal mail instead.

If You Fill Out Online Forms

Certain areas like the "NHLBI Online Catalog" and the "Join the Health Information Network" include forms where you actively enter your personal information. We use this personal information to ship you products or to provide you with the latest health and research information. Specifically:

• When you order, we need to know your name, E-mail address, mailing address, credit card number, and credit card expiration date. This allows us to process and fill your order and to notify you of your order status.
  
  
• When you sign up for services like "Join the Health Information Network," we need only an E-mail address, which we use to send the information you requested. We also collect information about your interests in order to send health information that more accurately meets your needs. You do not have to provide this additional information to receive the service.
  
  
• We may also use the information we collect to occasionally notify you about important changes to the Web site, new NHLBI services, and special offers we think you may find valuable.
  
  
• When placing an order from the NHLBI Online Catalog, you are specifically asked if you would like to receive E-mail updates about new NHLBI publications and services. If you check this box, your E-mail address will be placed on a contact list used exclusively for the dissemination of information by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. This contact list will not be released to any outside organizations.

Cookies

Some pages on this Web site, like the NHLBI Online Catalog, employ "cookies." A cookie is a small file that a Web site transfers to your computer's hard disk to allow the server to "remember" specific information about your session while you are connected. Requests to send cookies are not designed to collect information about you, but only about your "browser session." The cookies make it easier for you to use the dynamic features of our Web site. The cookies and the information about your session are automatically destroyed shortly after you close your browser. The information is not permanently stored on your computer. We do not collect personal information about you except as described above.

Security

The NHLBI uses the latest encryption technology to keep your personal information safe. All your ordering information -- including your name, address, and credit card number -- is encrypted using a secure server for maximum security. Your credit card and billing information cannot be read as it travels to our ordering system. To ensure that your information is even more secure, once we receive your credit card information, we store it on a server that is not accessible from the Internet.

Credit card transactions are handled by a third-party financial institution, which receives the credit card number and other personal identifying information only to verify the credit card numbers and process transactions. If you feel more comfortable doing so, our Web site also provides options to order information by telephone or to download an order form that can be faxed or mailed.

Links to Other Sites

Our Web sites have links to many other organizations. Once you follow a link to any other site, you are subject to its privacy policy.

Your Consent

By using our Web sites, you consent to the collection and use of this information by NHLBI as described in this document. If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on this page so that you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances we disclose it.

Intrusion Detection

This site is maintained by the U.S. Government. It is protected by various provisions of Title 18, U.S. Code. Violations of Title 18 are subject to criminal prosecution in federal court.

For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, we employ software programs to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. In the event of authorized law enforcement investigations, and pursuant to any required legal process, information from these sources may be used to help identify an individual.

Questions about NHLBI privacy policies should be sent to the NHLBI Privacy Act Officer.