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My HealtheVet Use Agreement
I agree that I have read, understand and accept the disclaimers as listed below.
General Disclaimer
Disclaimer of Endorsement
Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.
The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Veterans Affairs of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized VA activities, the Department does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. All links are provided with the intent of meeting the mission of the Department and the VA web site. Please let us know about existing external links which you believe are inappropriate and about specific additional external links which you believe ought to be included.
Disclaimer of Liability
With respect to documents available from this server, neither the United States Government nor any of its employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, including the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.
Notice
Information from this server resides on a computer system funded by the VA. The use of this system may be monitored for computer security purposes. Any unauthorized access to this system is prohibited and is subject to criminal and civil penalties under Federal Laws including but not limited to Public Laws 83-703 and 99-474.
Reference from this Web page or from any of the information services sponsored by the VA to any non-governmental entity, product, service or information does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the VA or any of its employees. We are not responsible for the content of any "off-site" web pages referenced from this server.
Medical Disclaimer
The My HealtheVet System (the "Service") is a World Wide Web-based health information and communication service provided by the Department of Veterans Affair (VA). As used in the My HealtheVet Online Medical Disclaimer and Agreement ("Agreement"), "We", "Us", or "Our" refers to the My HealtheVet System, "You" or "User(s)" refers to users of this Service.
In the My HealtheVet System end-user medical disclaimer and agreement below you will find important information regarding the My HealtheVet System, the terms of user registration and use of this Service.
The terms and conditions of this medical disclaimer and agreement may change periodically. Such modifications will take effect immediately upon posting on the web site. You are advised to review this agreement upon use of the Service for changes and modifications.
The user is the sole owner of the data contained in their My HealtheVet account and their personal health record. The user can self enter data into their My HealtheVet account; however, that data will not be available to others. The self-entered data is not provided or available to VA practitioners unless access is granted by the owner of the data. The data is available to only the specific VA practitioners granted access. The data is not sent to anyone or any system at the VA. No one at the VA can access that information unless specifically given access permission by the user. The user controls who can and who cannot access their information contained in their My HealtheVet account. If the user grants access permission to their data to another person (the grantee), the user cannot assume that the grantee has seen their data unless that access is shown in the user's access records. The user can remove access from the grantee at any time. The user can also limit access to only certain fields or labs or types of information. Under certain unusual circumstances, authorized VA personnel may monitor or copy information, placed or sent over this system. An example of an unusual circumstance would be complying with a court order with several days advanced notice. While it is possible for data to be accessed when 2 of the computer support staff with different roles cooperate, this is not an access service that can be made available in emergency situations.
The My HealtheVet System can serve as one location to collect and store the user's health information from different health care providers over a period of time. The user can self enter data, as well as obtain copies of key portions of their VA electronic record. Using the password protected account, the user can access that information from anywhere in the world through the Internet. The user can also print out copies of portions of their My HealtheVet record at any time as well as self entered data. Although it is possible for the user to access this record from an emergency room, the user should not rely on this Service as a record that can be used in an emergency. We cannot guarantee that the record could be accessed in an emergency situation. The site of the medical emergency may not have a working computer, an Internet browser may not be installed, the Internet may not be accessible, the Internet connection may not be functioning, a physical disaster may interrupt service or the servers may be unavailable. Also, if the user were not able to sign on to their account for any reason, their record would not be accessible.
The information provided by the My HealtheVet System is based on current information from many medical sources which may include published medical reports, consensus panels and/or medical experts; however, the information is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Nothing on the My HealtheVet System is intended to be used for or replace the advice of your doctor, medical diagnosis or treatment. As always, seek advice of your physician or other qualified health provider before starting new treatment or when you have questions regarding a medical condition or disease. The information provided by the My HealtheVet System is intended to help people make better healthcare decisions and take greater responsibility for their own health.
Veterans' Health Education Library (the "Service") is a World Wide Web-based health information and communication service provided by the Veteran Health Administration in conjunction with Employee Education System and contains information from various content providers such as HealthGate, Inc., WellMed, Inc., and Micromedics, Inc., ("Suppliers"). As used in the Health Resources Online Medical Disclaimer and Agreement ("Agreement"), "We", "Us", or "Our" refers to Health Resources Online. "You" or "User(s)" refers to users of this Service.
The service will provide you with important information regarding Health Resources Online, the terms of user registration and use of this Service: The terms and conditions of this medical disclaimer and agreement may change from time to time. Such modifications will take effect immediately upon posting on the web site. You are advised to review this agreement periodically for changes and modifications.
The information provided by Health Resources Online is based on current medical literature and on physician review; however, the information is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Nothing on Health Resources Online is intended to be used for or replace the advice of your doctor, medical diagnosis or treatment. As always, seek advice of your physician or other qualified health provider before starting new treatment or when you have questions regarding a medical condition or disease. The information provided by Health Resources Online is intended to help people make better healthcare decisions and take greater responsibility for their own health. The health-related information and resources are not intended and must not be taken to be the rendering of or the practice of medical, nursing, or professional healthcare advice or services in any jurisdiction.
The information contained in the Micromedex Medications products is intended as an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatment. It is not a substitute for a medical exam, nor does it replace the need for services provided by medical professionals. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before taking any prescription or over the counter drugs (including any herbal medicines or supplements) or following any treatment or regimen. Only your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for you.
The use of Micromedex products is at your sole risk. These products are provided "AS IS" and "as available" for use, without warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied. Micromedex makes no representation of warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, usefulness or completeness of any of the information contained in the products. Additionally, Micromedex makes no representation or warranties as to the opinions or other service or data you may access, download or use as a result of use of the Micromedex products. ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE ARE HEREBY EXCLUDED. Micromedex does not assume any responsibility or risk for your use of Micromedex products.
The health-related information and resources are not intended and must not be taken to be the rendering of or the practice of medical, nursing, or professional healthcare advice or services in any jurisdiction.
YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT THE DATA IN YOUR MY HEALTHEVET ACCOUNT IS FOR YOUR INDIVIDUAL USE. YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE DATA IS NOT ACCESSABLE BY VA STAFF OR OTHERS UNLESS YOU SPECIFICALLY GRANT THEM ACCESS. YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR DATA IS NOT SENT TO ANY VA PERSON OR ANY VA SYSTEM. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AN ELECTRONIC COPY OF YOUR HEALTHEVET ACCOUNT CANNOT CURRENTLY BE MADE PART OF YOUR ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD.
YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT WE CANNOT GUARENTEE THAT THIS SERVICE WILL BE ACCESSIBLE DURING A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT NO SERVICE IS AVAILABLE THAT WOULD MAKE YOUR DATA AVAILABLE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION IF YOU CANNOT ACCESS YOUR ACCOUNT WITH YOUR NORMAL PASSWORDS.
YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT NEITHER WE NOR OUR SUPPLIERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RESULTS OF YOUR DECISIONS RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THE SERVICE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, YOUR CHOOSING TO SEEK OR NOT TO SEEK PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL CARE, OR YOUR CHOOSING OR NOT CHOOSING A SPECIFIC TREATMENT BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THIS ONLINE SERVICE. FURTHER, YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE MY HEALTHEVET SYSTEM MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA) MAY CONTACT YOU REGARDING SURVEYS, QUESTIONNAIRES AND POLLS. YOUR PARTICIPATION IN SURVEYS, QUESTIONNAIRES AND POLLS IS VOLUNTARY AND NOT REQUIRED.
Privacy and Security Statement
Introduction
We know that privacy and security of information matters to you. We respect your privacy and have taken measures to provide appropriate levels of security to protect your personal information. We will never release your name, street address, telephone number, e-mail address or any other personal information to others. We deploy computer security technology to protect any information you provide to us. We may at times distribute aggregate (anonymous, collected statistical data) information about our users within the Department of Veterans Affairs for quality assurance and management.
Privacy
The privacy of our customers has always been of utmost importance to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA has a long history of protecting your privacy and our concern for your privacy is no different in the electronic age. The VA realizes that the information provided is sensitive, and that many people have concerns about submitting this kind of information over the Internet. Therefore, the VA is making every effort to ensure the confidentiality and privacy of your information by using the current best security practices.
- Our Internet privacy policy is:
- You do not have to give us personal information to visit our site.
- We will collect personally identifiable information (name, email address, Social Security number, or other unique identifier) only if specifically and knowingly provided by you.
- Personally identifying information you provide will be used only in connection with VA programs and services or for such other purposes as are described at the point of collection.
- Information is collected for statistical purposes and VA sometimes performs analyses of user behavior in order to measure customer interest in the various areas of our site.
- We do not give, sell or transfer any personal information to a third party.
- We use temporary session "cookies". A "cookie" is a file placed on your personal computer's hard drive by a Web site that allows it to monitor your use of the site. These temporary session cookies does not contain any personal information, but provides the ability for the My HealtheVet system to know who you are as you move from page to page without forcing you to reenter your information. As soon as you log off the My HealtheVet system or close the browser window, the temporary session cookie is erased. It is also erased whenever the connection is lost for any reason.
- The system that stores your data is protected by firewalls to prevent access to the system in unauthorized ways.
- Your personal private medical information is not understandable as it is stored on our systems. The data is individually encrypted so that only you or those you designate can read the data. This is your private data and we have designed the system so only you and those you have designated can access that data.
- From your computer to the VA, the information will be protected using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption. This is automatically handled by most browsers, and is widely accepted as appropriate protection for the transmission of information on the Internet. While on a secure page, such as a data entry form, the lock icon on the bottom of Web browsers such as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer becomes locked, as opposed to un-locked, or open, when you are just 'surfing'
- Our web servers are protected by firewalls, and several layers of protection are placed between your data and the Internet. Our firewalls and servers are regularly updated and monitored to further protect the systems from inappropriate access.
The Privacy Act of 1974 ( http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/privstat.htm ) applies to all Federal agencies. For information on the Federal government's Web Site Privacy Policy, see the following documents:
- VA Handbook 6300.4, Procedures for Processing Requests for Records Subject to the Privacy Act ( http://www.va.gov/publ/direc/irm/63004hb.html )
- VA Handbook 6300.5, Procedures for Establishing & Managing Privacy Act Systems of Records ( http://www.va.gov/publ/direc/irm/63005hb.html ).
Family Members and Privacy
Some states have restrictions on disclosure of health information to family members to protect the privacy of certain minors and dependent adult family members. These restrictions on disclosure of information may include accessing personal health and medical information through electronic or Internet based services. If you have questions regarding this matter, we recommend that you contact your local VA Medical Center for more information about disclosure of health information and applicable privacy laws within the state or jurisdiction where you receive care.
Privacy and Linked Web Sites
This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that the Department of Veterans Affairs is not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site that they should read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this Web site.
Privacy Act Warning
Information contained in this system is subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (Title 5 U.S.C. 552a, as amended). Only authorized persons may use personal information contained in this system. Any unauthorized disclosure or misuse of personal information may result in criminal and/or civil penalties. Any individual may be found guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not more than $5,000.00 if he or she willfully discloses personal information to anyone not entitled to receive information. Any individual may file a civil action against a Department of Veterans Affair component or its employees if the aggrieved individual feels that certain provisions of the Privacy Act have been violated. An aggrieved individual may obtain the payment of damage, court costs, and attorney fees in some cases.
My HealtheVet is a web site of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Office of the Under Secretary for Health and the Veterans Health Administration Management provides it as a public service. An individual's private data may only be distributed or copied by the individual or their grantee. Public information presented on this site may be distributed or copied unless otherwise indicated. Use of appropriate byline/photo/image credits is requested.
For site management, information is collected for statistical purposes. This government computer system uses software programs to create summary statistics, which are used for such purposes as assessing what information is of most and least interest, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas. For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this government computer system employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, no other attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits. Raw data logs are used for no other purposes and are scheduled for regular destruction in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration General Schedule 20. Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this service are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 99-474, Oct. 16, 1986, 100 Stat. 1213).
My HealtheVet is a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) computer system. This computer system, including all related equipment, networks, and network devices (specifically including Internet access) are provided only for authorized U.S. government use. VA computer systems may be monitored for all lawful purposes, including ensuring that their use is authorized, for management of the system, to facilitate protection against unauthorized access, and to verify security procedures, survivability, and operational security. Monitoring includes active attacks by authorized VA entities to test or verify the security of this system. During monitoring, information may be examined, recorded, copied and used for authorized purposes. Under certain unusual circumstances, authorized VA personnel may monitor or copy information, placed or sent over this system. An example of an unusual circumstance would be complying with a court order.
Use of this VA computer system, authorized or unauthorized, constitutes consent to monitoring of this system. Unauthorized use may subject you to criminal prosecution. Evidence of unauthorized use collected during monitoring may be used for administrative, criminal, or civil action.
Security of Information
At all times, security maintenance and administration is an essential element of web site operation and maintenance. My HealtheVet employs several levels of security to protect the personal identifiable information of registered users. In addition, these security levels are anticipated to be in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) (Pub. L.104-191, Aug 21, 1996,110 Stat. 1936).
Registration and Login
You are always welcome to use My HealtheVet without registering or logging in. However, we require you to register and login for certain services, like entering data and obtaining copies of key portions of your VA medical record. To obtain a registered account, you only need to visit a medical center where your identity will be checked and your account will be created for you. This process assures that your medical data is never sent anywhere unless you have specifically requested this service. It also assures that your data is only sent to your My HealtheVet account.
Password Protection
When you register for a My HealtheVet account, access to your personal pages will be password protected. Choose your password that is easy for you to remember. The password must be at least eight (8) characters long, start with letter, include at least three of the four classes of characters and cannot use a form of the account name. The four classes of characters include upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers and certain special characters (like “!”, “#” or “~”). We strongly recommend that you do not divulge your password to anyone. My HealtheVet personnel will never ask for your password in an unsolicited phone call or unsolicited e-mail. For your protection, if you forget your password, you will need to visit your local VA Medical Center, with proper identification, to request password reset on your account.
Logging Out
You should remember to log out and close your browser when you are finished accessing password protected My HealtheVet services. This prevents someone else from accessing your personal information if you leave, share, or use a public computer (i.e., like a library, kiosk, or Internet café) . To protect your information completely it is recommended that you close your browser after your session.
Exit Site Notice
My HealtheVet has links to many other federal agencies. In a few cases we link to private organizations, with their permission. Once you link to another site, you are subject to the privacy and security policy of the new site. When My HealtheVet links to external Internet sites, it does so by opening a new window (or browser) on your screen. Any information in these secondary windows (browsers) should be considered external to the My HealtheVet website, and My HealtheVet and the VA are not responsible for its content.
Saving of Passwords by Browser
Many Internet Browsers (such as Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator) allow users to save user IDs and passwords. Because My HealtheVet may contain sensitive medical information, the practice of saving User Ids and passwords in a browsers' memory is prohibited, as it could potentially allow persons who gain access to a workstation where the user had saved their password to access the users' medical information.
Surveys, Questionnaires, and Polls
To improve the quality of our service, My HealtheVet may use surveys, questionnaires and polls to facilitate feedback and input from our end users. You are not required to respond to these. When you choose to respond to surveys, questionnaires or polls related to our site, we might, at times, ask you for demographic information such as your age or gender. This information is collected only as anonymous, aggregated information and is used for statistical purposes. Otherwise, we do not collect or store your personal responses.
Changes to This Policy
This privacy and security policy may be revised periodically. When we make a significant change that affects our collection and use of your personal information or our security and privacy policy, we will post a notice on the My HealtheVet home page for thirty (30) days. The most recent changes to the security and or privacy policy will be highlighted in a different color within the policy. We recommend that you read the policy whenever you visit the My HealtheVet site in case you missed our notice or have not previously registered for a My HealtheVet service or feature.
My HealtheVet will be partnering with select third parties to provide you with quality health information and services. We recommend that you read the privacy and security policies of these third party partners before using their tools and services.
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Contact Us or refer to the User Guide for assistance. |
Reviewed/Updated: August 2, 2001