Our Privacy Commitment to You
OMERACT is committed to keeping your personal information accurate, confidential, secure and private.
When you visit our website, contact us, participate in one of our working groups or attend an event, we are committed to protecting your privacy rights and personal information.
OMERACT’s privacy policy is based on the 10 Privacy Principles in the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Model Privacy Code for the Protection of Personal Information. It reflects the requirements of applicable legislation, including the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).
This Privacy Policy describes the principles that OMERACT will use to protect the privacy of your personal information. It addresses why such information is collected, how it is used, and how it is confidentially protected, and it outlines your rights concerning it.
This privacy policy applies to OMERACTers, Sponsor, and Employees.
Personal information is defined as any factual or subjective information, recorded or not, about an identifiable individual. Examples are age, name, source of income, home addresses and telephone numbers. Personal information does not include the name, title, business address or telephone number of an employee of an organization.
OMERACT’s Privacy Principles
1. Accountability
OMERACT protects your personal information collected through our website and conference activities. Individuals will be asked to review and sign a consent form before any personal information is released to third parties to provide enhanced services or otherwise.
The OMERACT Secretariat is designated as OMERACT’s Privacy Officer and is responsible for protecting personal information and for OMERACT’s compliance with this Privacy Policy.
Shawna Grosskleg
Privacy Officer
OMERACT, 01 Smyth Rd. Room L1258 P.O. Box 201B Ottawa, ON K1N 5C7 Canada
Phone: (613) 794-1355; Email: admin@omeract.org
OMERACT’s Privacy Officer Responsibilities include
- Documentation of uses of personal information
- Compliance monitoring
- Reporting and dispute resolution
2. Identifying Purposes
OMERACT will provide a statement explaining the purpose(s) for collecting your personal information, wherever possible before we ask you to disclose it.
We collect personal data when you sign up for the OMERACT mailing list or register for our biennial conference to meet your program and information needs better.
We also use and disclose data that does not identify individuals for statistical purposes to assess, develop, and improve OMERACT’s services.
We do not sell personal information we collect.
We will not disclose your personal information to anyone else without your prior knowledge or consent except when required by a government body or agency or as permitted by law.
If you supply us with your contact information, you may hear from us about important information concerning OMERACT.
You may also hear from us about other OMERACT information that may interest and benefit you, or we may ask you for feedback about the interactions you have already had as part of our quality assurance commitment. If you do not wish to receive information about other OMERACT initiatives or opportunities, please email admin@omeract.org.
Using our Website
You can access our website home page and browse our site without disclosing your personal data. Any personal information that site visitors voluntarily choose to provide to receive free electronic newsletters, participate in periodic polls and surveys and/or complete any of our online application forms IS NOT shared with third parties unless stated otherwise. OMERACT will ensure all personal information is secured and remains confidential.
OMERACT’s Use of Cookies
A cookie is a small text file containing a unique identification number that is transferred from a website to your computer's hard drive so that the website may identify separate visitors to the site and track users’ activities on the website. A cookie will not let a website know any personally identifiable information about you, such as your real name and address.
OMERACT uses cookies only to track how many people visit OMERACT’s website and how frequently each page is visited. Any user's movement cannot be tracked while on OMERACT’s site. Cookies are only used to track page popularity for statistical purposes, improve the site's quality, and meet your needs. (For more information on cookies, please check your browser’s settings.)
Links on our Website
Because OMERACT wants your website experience to be informational and resourceful, our Website also provides links to third-party sites. OMERACT assumes no responsibility for the information practices of sites you can access through our site. We encourage you to review each site's privacy policy before disclosing personally identifiable information.
3. Consent & Disclosure
The only personal information that OMERACT collects is with your knowledge and consent.
You can choose not to disclose any personal information we may ask you to provide. However, a decision to withhold some personal information can result in our inability to provide you with information.
Further, you can withdraw your consent to the collection, use or disclosure of your personal information at any time, subject to legal requirements and reasonable notice.
4. Limiting Collection
The amount and type of information that OMERACT collects is limited only to what is necessary to fulfill the identified purposes. OMERACT will ask for the information it requires directly from the individual. Personal information will be collected using procedures which are fair, transparent and lawful.
You can choose to disclose as much or as little personal information as you are comfortable with. As noted in Principle 3, a decision to withhold some personal information can prevent us from providing you with information.
5. Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention
OMERACT will use your personal information only for the purposes it was collected.
Your information will not be disclosed without your knowledge and consent unless permitted or required by law.
Your personal information will be retained only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected and in compliance with any laws surrounding information retention. If all identified purposes for using your personal information have been exhausted, we will destroy the information or render it unidentifiable.
6. Accuracy
To ensure reliable information delivery, your personal information will be kept accurate, complete and up to date.
We assume that the information that you provide to us is accurate. If your personal information changes at any time, we hope to be informed immediately. If you contact us with a request, we will take appropriate steps to update or correct the personal information in our possession that you have previously provided to us.
7. Safeguards
OMERACT employs several safeguards to protect your personal information against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. Such safeguards include limiting access on a “need-to-know” basis and using passwords and encryption.
Procedures for implementing these measures are communicated to all employees to ensure compliance with this principle.
8. Openness
OMERACT has understandable and readily available specific information about its policies relating to managing personal information. Our policy is always available on OMERACT’s website: https://omeract.org/privacy-policy/
9. Individual Access
Upon request, we will inform you if we hold any personal information about you and provide you with access to this information. If we have any personal information about you, we will also tell you what purposes it is used for, if applicable.
You have a right to update any personal information we hold on you. Should you wish to see the entire contents of your information that is on file, you must make a formal request and email it to:
Shawna Grosskleg
Privacy Officer
OMERACT, 01 Smyth Rd. Room L1258 P.O. Box 201B Ottawa, ON K1N 5C7 Canada
Phone: (613) 794-1355; Email: admin@omeract.org
We will respond to you within thirty (30) days after receipt of your request or notify you if we require a more extended period to address your request fully, provided that applicable privacy laws permit an extension of thirty (30) days period.
10. Challenging Compliance
If, for any reason, you are concerned about our compliance with our Privacy Policy, you may contact our Privacy Officer in writing, by phone or by email:
Shawna Grosskleg
Privacy Officer
OMERACT, 01 Smyth Rd. Room L1258 P.O. Box 201B Ottawa, ON K1N 5C7 Canada
Phone: (613) 794-1355; Email: admin@omeract.org
OMERACT has policies and procedures for receiving, investigating, and responding to individuals’ complaints and questions.
If you are dissatisfied with how OMERACT has responded to a complaint, you can contact the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time. Notice of changes to this Privacy Policy that affect you will be posted on this site.
This policy was last revised on October 21st, 2024.