— Web Privacy Policy —
At Massachusetts General Hospital (“MGH”), an affiliate of Mass General Brigham Incorporated (“Mass General Brigham”), we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of visitors to the Dougan Lab website located at Douganlab.mgh.harvard.edu (this “Website”). This website privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) will tell you what information we collect, how it is used and your options as you interact with our Website. By using this Website, you agree to this policy. Please read the following carefully before using the Website.
“Protected health information” as defined under the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act and related regulations (collectively referred to as “HIPAA”), including information you provide to a Mass General Brigham facility while being treated as a patient of that facility or within the Mass General Brigham Patient Gateway portal, is separate and subject to our Notice of Privacy Practices.
Your Consent
By using our website, you consent to the collection, use and sharing of information as described in this Privacy Policy.
(NOTE: Opt-out options are discussed in the section entitled “Cookies, Tracking and Internet-based Advertising”.)
Information That We Collect
You may use our Website without providing any personal information.
If you submit to MGH or Mass General Brigham any personal information relating to other people in the content of a comment or question submitted through this Website, you represent that you have the authority to do so and permit us to use the information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. By submitting personal information, you grant MGH and Mass General Brigham the right to transmit, monitor, retrieve, store and use your information in connection with the operation of the Website.
Data Security
MGH and Mass General Brigham are committed to protecting the privacy of any personal information you provide to us via this website so that we can make sure it remains as secure as possible. Accordingly, we use reasonable efforts to prevent unauthorized access. We use a secure firewall and a security infrastructure that protects the integrity and privacy of personal information submitted to us via this website. As an additional security measure, your personal information is also encrypted during transmission using appropriate technology including Transport Layer Security. This is an industry standard.
Although we work hard to protect your personal information, neither MGH nor Mass General Brigham can guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us through this Website, and you do so at your own risk. Depending on the nature of the inquiry, your communication could be discarded or archived. If you wish, you can contact us instead by telephone at the numbers provided throughout our Website.
Cookies, Tracking, and Internet-based Advertising
This Website works with companies that offer third-party products or services (“Service Providers”). These include, Piwik Pro, and other Service Providers who help us track and analyze visitor activity on the website and support our maintenance of the Website,.
The Website uses “cookies,” tracking pixels and related technologies. These can be set by MGH, Mass General Brigham or by our Service Providers.
Cookies are small data files that online services can store on, and retrieve from, a user’s computer or mobile device through the user’s web browser. The information is stored and retrievable either for the duration of a website visit (known as “session cookies”), or until some later point in time set by the website setting the cookie (known as “persistent cookies”)
Examples of information we and our Service Providers collect include how often someone visits this website and what they do while on the website. We and our Service Providers use this information in the aggregate to understand how our visitors as a group use different resources and to help us improve our website. We and our Service Providers also collect information about the activity of individual website users.
Most internet browsers accept cookies by default, but you can modify your browser preferences to block or restrict cookies if you do not want your web browsing activity tracked. There are a variety of tools publicly available to manage cookies and similar technologies that collect information related to your use of the website. Learn more from (i) the FTC or (ii) the Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out page, which allows users to opt out from receiving interest-based advertising.
We are not responsible for the effectiveness or compliance of third party opt-out mechanisms or programs. Please note that if you delete your cookies or upgrade your browser after having opted out, you will need to opt out again. Further, if you use multiple browsers or devices you will need to opt out on each browser or device. You can access the information on this website without enabling cookies in your browser but disabling cookies may result in a diminished ability to take advantage of the services and related informational content on the Website.
We use Piwik PRO Analytics Suite as our website/app analytics software and consent management tool. We collect data about website visitors based on cookies. The collected information may include a visitor’s IP address, operating system, browser ID, browsing activity and other information. See the scope of data collected by Piwik PRO.
We calculate metrics like bounce rate, page views, sessions and the like to understand how our website/app is used. We may also create visitors’ profiles based on browsing history to analyze visitor behavior, show personalized content and run online campaigns.
Our Service Providers may acquire additional information about your activity on our website, including pages you visit, access times, visit duration, how you arrived at our website and your IP address. An IP address is a number that identifies a device connected to the Internet. For most devices, the IP address changes on at least a weekly basis. Our Service Providers may also acquire device identifiers and specific information about the browser you use. In some cases, this information may be unique to you.
How We Use This Information
MGH and Mass General Brigham uses the information you provide to:
- Administer, operate and manage the Website
- Respond to your questions and requests (if applicable)
- Administer certain site features
- Communicate changes to our Privacy Policy.
Users in the European Economic Area (EAA) and Switzerland
EEA or Switzerland residents are entitled to the rights under Chapter III of the EU General Data Protection Regulation or Section 2 of the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection with respect to the processing of personal data, which includes the right to access, rectify and request erasure of personal data. Please contact us with your request. In order to verify your identity, we may require you to provide us with personal information prior to accessing any records containing information about you.
Third-Party Vendors/ Content Providers
MGH and Mass General Brigham share information with third parties, including as required by law or in order to provide the services requested. MGH and Mass General Brigham engage reputable third-party vendors to help us manage this Website, provide content and information, and interact better with our patients and visitors.
Transfer in the Event of Sale or Change of Control
If the ownership of our business changes or we need to transfer assets relating to this website to a third party, we may transfer your personal information to the new owner. Your information would remain subject to the promises made in the applicable Website Privacy Policy unless you specify otherwise.
Links to External Websites
This online Privacy Policy applies only to this Website. This website may from time to time contains links to other websites, within and outside of MGH and Mass General Brigham. Please be aware that this Privacy Policy does not apply to those websites. We encourage you to read the Privacy Policy on any other websites before providing them with personal information.
Changes to This Policy
MGH and Mass General Brigham have the right to change or update this Website Privacy Policy from time to time without notice, so please review it periodically to keep informed of any changes. If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or concerns about how we collect, use or protect your personal information, please contact us as listed below.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or concerns about how we collect, use or protect your personal information, please contact us at douganlab@massglabeneralbrigham.org
Last Revised August 11, 2023