Healthcare Communications Network Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 7, 2024

This privacy notice (“Notice”) will inform you about the types of personal, behavioral, and other information that the Healthcare Communications Network (“Network,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) collects, uses, and discloses about you from our Network member websites, as well as any information that we process through our own website, which is available at: https://hcn.health/.

Each website maintained by the members of the Network will have its own privacy policy that applies. You should review any additional privacy policies to understand how they affect any information that you provide or is collected at that website. The Network itself, and IQVIA Inc. (“IQVIA”) in particular, are not responsible for the policies or actions of individual Network members regarding the information you provide to them or how they use it.

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The Information We Collect

• We may collect information that can be used to identify you, and other personal information you voluntarily submit, as part of a registration process at a Network member’s website. We may combine the personal information we collect about you with other personal information about you that we obtain from public or private sources. We may also collect information as a result of your interaction with any Network member’s website, an IQVIA client (“Client”) website, any website where relevant advertising might occur, or any communication received directly or indirectly from us. This means we may collect information from you, and about you, through multiple locations, not just the website through which you initially register.
• The information we may collect automatically, on or through, Network member websites, or Client websites, includes your Internet protocol (IP) address, user agent strings, mobile device identification number, geolocation data, browser type, page access history, linking information, click stream data, page visits, page views, and/or website log files. If we identify that you are accessing Network or Client websites through multiple devices, we will associate each such device with your profile.
• We may use cookies, pixels, web tags, beacons, or similar technological devices to identify users and/or their computer(s) or mobile device(s) in order to keep track of users’ interactions with Network member websites, Client websites, and communications with us.

We may share any of the categories of data we collect for our business and commercial purposes (as elaborated on in the “How We Use Your Information” and “How We Disclose Your Information” sections below).

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How We Use Your Information

We may use the information we collect from you in the following ways:

• To identify and verify your professional medical status by checking your information against the information listed on available databases, including those made available by the American Medical Association, the NPPES NPI Registry, and/or state licensing boards.
• To analyze data at an aggregate and/or individual level to personalize and enhance your experience while interacting with Network member, Client websites, and across the various communication channels you use to receive professionally relevant information.
• To identity individuals who visit a website or group of websites where relevant advertising might occur. Personal information, such as the email address, of an individual or group of individuals who meet targeting criteria might be shared with Network members or Clients so that relevant advertising or marketing communications can be delivered. In certain cases, such as social media websites, a proprietary file from the website that identifies these individuals might be shared with Network members or Clients so that relevant advertising or marketing communication can be delivered.
• To allow us or our Clients to deliver the type of content and services that we believe may be of interest to you as a health care professional.  Such content might be delivered to you as an email, an advertisement on a website, a promotional item on a social media platform (a sponsored post, advertisement, etc.), an advertisement delivered via a connected television platform or other connected device. Such content will be targeted to your professional experience and/or interests, based on your professional activities and/or other information we have collected or otherwise able to access.
• To monitor usage and interaction statistics on Network member, Client websites, and/or through responses to communications.
• To establish your online account and authenticate you during login at any website that provides medically relevant information.
• To share your engagement information with the sponsor(s) of the medically relevant programs with which you interact.
• To determine your geographical location in order to exclude non-U.S. participants.
• To offer you our services through our website.
• For analytics and interest-based advertisements (as described below in the “How We Disclose Your Information” section).

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How We Protect Your Information

We have established and implemented reasonable physical, electronic, and administrative procedures designed to safeguard and secure the personal information we collect and maintain online. Nevertheless, we cannot guarantee the security of information that is transmitted over the Internet or stored on our servers.   Any information you provide to us, whether directly, or through a Network member or Client website, is at your own risk.

Please note that we do not have any control over, or responsibility for, information you provide to or through Network member, or Client websites.  Those websites are not managed by the Network. Any concern you may have regarding how a particular Network member or Client website protects personal information should be directed to that specific Network member or Client.

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How We Disclose Your Information

We may disclose your information to third parties in the following circumstances:

• Verification.  Although all Network and Client communications are designed to be professionally relevant to health care professionals, certain information, products, and services we provide only to specific types of medical professionals. To ensure that we are delivering the information, products, and services as may be required by law, guidelines (e.g., Certified Medical Education and PDMA) or contract, we may share your information with third-party sources to verify your eligibility to receive the content.
• Network Members.  The Network exists to allow members to share relevant information, including visitor’s personal information, with one another. We may disclose your personal information to any/all members of the Network for their own purposes and subject to their individual privacy policies.
• IQVIA Client.  We may disclose your personal information with any/all clients of IQVIA who provide healthcare products or services.  IQVIA clients are granted the right to use this personal information for communication, advertising, or analytics purposes, geared to your profession or professional interests.
• Analytics Providers. We partner with certain third parties to obtain the automatically collected information discussed above and to engage in analysis, auditing, research, and reporting.  These third parties may use web logs or web beacons, and they may set and access cookies on your computer or other device. In particular, our website uses Google Analytics to help collect and analyze certain information for the purposes discussed above. You may opt out of the use of cookies by Google Analytics here.  
• Interest-based Advertising (or Targeted Advertising). We enable third-party tracking advertisers to collect information about you and your computing devices for use in online interest-based advertising.  For example, third parties may use the fact that you visited our website to target online ads to you.  In addition, our third-party advertising networks might use information about your use of our website to help target advertisements based on your online activity in general.  For information about interest-based advertising practices, including privacy and confidentiality, visit the Network Advertising Initiative website or the Digital Advertising Alliance website. The use of online tracking mechanisms by third parties is subject to those third parties’ own privacy policies, and not this Notice.  If you prefer to prevent third parties from setting and accessing cookies on your computer or other device, you may set your browser to block cookies.  Additionally, you may remove yourself from the targeted advertising of companies within the Network Advertising Initiative by opting out here, or of companies participating in the Digital Advertising Alliance by opting out here.  Although our website currently does not respond to “do not track” browser headers, you can limit tracking through these third-party programs and by taking the other steps discussed above.
• Subsidiaries and Affiliates. We may disclose your personal information to our subsidiaries and corporate affiliates, each of which may use your personal information consistent with this policy.
• Service Providers. We may disclose your personal information to service providers (e.g., analytics companies) in order for them to perform services for us.
• Enforcement of Rights/Security. We may disclose your  personal information (i) when we believe  we are required to do so (e.g. we have received a subpoena), (ii) when we believe it is necessary to protect and/or enforce the rights, property interests, or safety of IQVIA, Network members, our users, clients, or others, or (iii) as we deem necessary, for example, to resolve disputes, troubleshoot problems, prevent fraud, and otherwise enforce the privacy notice and other user agreements.
• Reorganization or Sale of the Company. In the event that we are merged with or become part of another organization, we are sold, we sell all — or substantially all — of our assets, or we are otherwise reorganized, the information we maintain, including your personal information will be one of the assets licensed, sold or otherwise transferred. 
• As Otherwise Allowed by Law. We may disclose or transfer personal information to third parties where we are expressly authorized by applicable law to do so.
• Consideration. In each of the uses described above, we may choose to rent, release, disclose, disseminate, make available, or sell your personal information to another business or third party in return for monetary or other valuable consideration.

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Managing Your Information

If you choose to provide your personal information to a Network member, Client, and/or IQVIA, you have certain rights to opt out:  

• You may opt out of a Network member using your personal information by following the opt out instructions on that specific website.
• You may opt out of IQVIA using your personal information by sending an email with your specific request, along with your name, email address, and NPI number (if available), to [email protected]. We may ask you for additional information to authenticate your request.
• You may opt out of receiving email communications from IQVIA, a Network member, or a Client by utilizing the unsubscribe mechanism found in the email you received. This will remove you from the email list for that specific program or campaign.
• You may remove the cookies, pixels, beacons, or similar device that may communicate information to us. To remove these devices, please follow the instructions provider by the manufacturer of your browser.
• You may remove the AIM Tag by clearing the cookies and the cache of your browser. Please follow the instructions provider by the manufacturer of your browser for these operations.

Depending on your data privacy choices, certain services may be limited or unavailable.

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Data Privacy Rights

If you are a resident of a jurisdiction with an applicable data privacy law, you may have certain rights available to you in relation to your personal data or personal information. These rights may include:

• The right to be informed about our data collection practices;
• The right to access and correct your data;
• The right to erase or delete your data;
• The right to data portability;
• The right to opt out of the sale of your information;
• The right to opt out of targeted advertising;
• The right to opt-out of marketing emails and text messages;
• The right to limit our use of any automated decision-making processes; and
• The right to withdraw consent (to the extent applicable).

To exercise any of the rights listed above, please contact us via email at [email protected] or fill out this form. We will respond to your request as soon as reasonably possible and within the timeframe required under applicable law. Prior to complying with your request, we will first verify your identity by comparing the information you provide with the information we have on file for you.

Additionally, you may authorize an agent to make a request on your behalf. To designate an agent, please provide a written and signed document by both you and the agent that authorizes the agent to act on your behalf. You may also use a power of attorney. We will still require you to provide information to allow us to reasonably verify that you are the person about whom we collected personal information.

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Additional Rights for Residents of Certain States

Residents of certain U.S. states may have additional or modified data privacy rights based on laws passed in that state. To see how the Network complies with these laws, please visit our State-Specific Rights page.

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International Citizens

The Network and our website are only intended for U.S. residents.  We do not intend to provide information about products and services to individuals who are not based in the US. IQVIA does not knowingly send communications to, or track web activity for, medical professionals who are not based in the United States, and utilizes reasonable measures, including technical measures, which are designed to identify recipients who are located outside of the U.S.  Nevertheless, in the event you are located outside of the U.S., you consent to the processing of your personal information in accordance with this privacy notice.

Changes to this Privacy Notice
We reserve the right to modify this privacy notice at any time without notice.

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Contact Us

IQVIA Inc.

Attention: Privacy Lead
10255 West Higgins Road
Suite 280
Rosemont, IL 60018

E: [email protected]

1-847-813-1170

Be sure to include your name, address, and email address if you want to receive a response by email. Otherwise, we will respond by postal mail within the time required by applicable law.