Privacy Policy

About

This notice explains how the organization uses and protects personal information shared with us and your rights regarding the information you provide.

What Personal Information We Collect

Personal information is factual or subjective information about an individual that is or can be associated with them. While conducting business, the organization collects personal information from patient representatives, nominees and members of our Board of Directors, expert committees or advisory panels, contractors, event registrants, visitors to our website, and newsletter subscribers. The kinds of personal information we may collect include name, contact information (e.g., home address, email address, phone number), banking information, financial information, contents of applications for employment or Board and committee nomination packages (e.g., resume and statements of interest), and information about individuals’ experiences with medical conditions.

We identify when information may be provided optionally and when it is necessary to provide service to you or engage with us. We collect information both directly and with the support of third parties. In those instances where information is collected from a third party, your personal information will be treated in the same way as if we collected it from you personally.

How We Use Your Personal Information

Personal information is used by the organization for the following purposes

• to verify your identity and identify relevant conflicts of interest
• to determine eligibility and suitability for involvement with the organization and to provide ongoing services
• to establish and maintain a relationship with you
• to inform you about organizational initiatives that may be of interest to you and to provide you with important updates regarding our services
• to give us a clear picture of traffic patterns and other interactions so we can continually improve our offerings
• for data analytics and to compile aggregate statistics for internal reporting purposes
• to assess and manage risk, including detecting and preventing fraud or error
• for administrative purposes such as the exchange of funds, reporting, analysis, and audits
• to meet legal and regulatory processes and requirements, or to defend against legal actions.

Sharing Your Personal Information

The organization takes reasonable steps to protect personal information. We do not disclose personal information for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except as required or permitted by law. Personal information may be shared with third parties who assist us in carrying out our business and providing you with our service offerings.

Your personal information may be processed or stored outside of Canada and could be subject to foreign laws. We take reasonable steps to ensure that any third parties we entrust with your personal information are reputable and have safeguards in place to protect your information.

Providing Your Consent

We collect, use and disclose your personal information with your consent, except as required or permitted by law. We will usually seek your express consent; however, there may be situations where your consent is implied by your actions, for example, by providing your contact information at one of our events. By providing your personal information to us in any manner, you agree that we may collect, use, disclose, or otherwise process your personal information in accordance with this privacy notice.

There may be instances where the law permits the collection, use or disclosure of your personal information without your consent, for example, in the context of fraud investigations, and where necessary to protect our legal interests or the safety of others. Otherwise, you may withdraw your consent at any time by providing us with written notice. We will inform you of the likely consequences of withdrawing your consent before we process your request.

Keeping Your Information Safe

The organization has measures in place to guard against unauthorized or unlawful access to your personal information. We use physical, electronic, and administrative security controls to protect your personal information, including robust encryption, firewalls, authentication processes, access controls, secure office premises, and regular reviews of policies and procedures to keep pace with best practices.

Any suspected privacy breach is escalated to our Privacy Officer.

Accessing Your Personal Information

You can make a written request for access to your personal information at any time, and also request that it be corrected if there are any inaccuracies. If you need assistance in preparing your access request, please get in touch with our Privacy Office. Please be aware that we must verify your identity before granting you access or making changes to your personal information. We typically respond to access requests within 30 days. We may charge a nominal fee to cover any expenses related to responding to your access request.

How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill business, legal, or regulatory purposes and in accordance with our retention schedules. Once the organization no longer requires your information to meet these requirements, it is securely destroyed, erased, or made anonymous.

Our Use of Internet Technology

We operate interactive electronic information platforms, such as our corporate website, to deliver on our mandate. Cookies and other technologies are used in connection with our website(s) and the social media platforms we use.

Usage Tracking With Google Analytics

Our website(s) automatically record some general information about your visit in order for us to engage in web statistical analysis using Google Analytics. This information may include the following:

• internet domain for your internet service provider, such as “company.com” or “service.ca,” and the IP address and geographic location of the computer you are using to access cadth.ca
• type of browser you are using, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome
• type of operating system you are using, such as Windows or Macintosh
• date and time of the visit to our site, the pages of our site that were visited, and the address of the previous website you were visiting, if you linked to us from another website
• age category, gender, and affinity interests as determined by demographic and interest reports available through Google Analytics.

We make no effort to personally identify you based on your visit to our website(s). If you wish, you may opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics by disabling or refusing the cookies by disabling JavaScript within your browser or by using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

Data collected for web analytics purposes may be processed in any country where Google operates servers and, thus, may be subject to the governing legislation of that country.

Cookies

A cookie is a small text file containing a unique identification number that a website installs on a device’s local storage. Cookies help with the functionality of our website(s) and help us understand how users engage with them. Cookies cannot run on your device, search your device for other information, or transmit any information to anyone.

Cookies used by the organization collect certain information from your browser or mobile platform, including the date and time of your visit, your IP address or unique device identifier, browser type and other device information (such as your operating system version and mobile network provider), but do not contain personal information such as your name or email address

Through your web browser’s preference settings, you can receive notifications when you receive new cookies, disable cookies and delete cookies. Note, however, that disabling cookies may prevent you from using certain features of the organization’s website(s) or from viewing ads based on past visits to our website(s).

Targeted Advertising

As you interact with our website(s), third-party advertising partners may use other technologies, such as tracking pixels, web beacons and similar technologies, to identify you as a visitor to our website(s) and present you with targeted ads to help us promote our events. You can opt out of the use of your information for select ad targeting by visiting this site: http://youradchoices.ca/choices, and also by setting up “Do Not Track” options available through your browser.

External Links and Social Media

We may offer links to third-party sites that may interest you. The organization makes no representations as to such third parties’ privacy practices, and we recommend that you review their privacy policies before providing your personal information to any such third parties.

Our use of social media extends our presence on the internet and helps us provide useful information to the public. Social media account(s), such as our Facebook, LinkedIn, and X accounts, are not hosted on our servers. Users who choose to interact with our organization via social media should read the terms of service and privacy policies of these services and platforms.

Changes to This Notice

We may change this privacy notice occasionally to reflect our current practices. Your continued engagement with the organization will be interpreted as accepting such changes

Getting in Touch

Any questions regarding privacy should be directed to our Privacy Officer at: