Disclaimer

Please remember, nothing on this web site should be considered medical advice or recommendations for treatment for any individual.  Medical advice on care and treatment is only provided by your treating clinician based on an evaluation of your specific healthcare needs. Any information or material that is obtained through this website is intended as general information. The Comfort Ability® Program advises families to discuss all information and questions related to health care with their treating health care professional.

To our web, blog, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Visitors: We will NEVER contact you asking you to provide personal information or photos. If you are contacted over social media by anyone who claims to work for Boston Children’s Hospital or a staff member of the Comfort Ability® Program asking for your personal information, kindly report it to that social network (Facebook, Skype, etc.).  Requests that are made through a social media site are NOT affiliated with the Comfort Ability® Program.

Privacy Policy

The Comfort Ability® Program takes your online privacy very seriously. When you visit thecomfortability.com, and click around the site, your privacy and anonymity are preserved. When you use one of our online forms to contact us, we do request some personal information from you, however, we will never share details of your personal information with another party outside of the Comfort Ability® Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, or use it beyond its original purpose as outlined below.

Our Online Forms

thecomfortability.com has forms for:

• Joining our newsletter e-mail list
• Participating in our online health chats
• Submitting your own coping story
• Submitting your question

On these forms, we request that you submit personal information, such as: your name, your city and state, your date of birth, and for chats, medical information. Ways that we may use this information are, for example: to verify that our chat participants qualify for specific chats, to send email reminders to chat participants, to make sure that people who are on our mailing list are 13 years or older, or to insure that we have appropriate contact information from individuals or institutions who complete our online permissions request form. Below are more detailed descriptions of the kinds of information we may request from you, and how we use that information.

Contacting Us

Our readers can contact us by phone, mail, or e-mail to provide us with feedback about the web site. When possible, the staff of the Comfort Ability® Program responds to these questions, and, once the correspondence is complete, we archive the exchange, to preserve our readers’ privacy. We do, however, save these questions and answers, to use the general question in aggregate articles, such as “Frequently Asked Questions” pages, where we provide answers to our readers’ commonly asked questions.  However, we do not use or disclose your personal information in such public facing pages.

Our web and email servers have typical privacy safeguards to insure that your online forms and emails will not be viewed inappropriately. However, these servers, like most, are not 100% secure. If you wish to avoid even a remote chance of a breach of your online privacy, please do not send us correspondence via online form or by email.

Mailing List Members

Our readers who are age 13 or older can join one or more of our email mailing lists. We use our mailing lists to:

• Send an e-mail with a new issue of our monthly newsletter
• Send a chat reminder to eligible chat participants

We do not use our mailing lists for any other purpose, nor do we share the lists with any other party outside of Boston Children’s Hospital. Email list members who wish to be removed may contact us by email and will be promptly removed, and their addresses will not be stored.

Our Online Health Chats

The Comfort Ability® Program sponsors anonymous monthly health chats for teens with chronic pain and functional symptoms and parents and caregivers. The chats are moderated by pediatric psychologists with expertise in pediatric chronic pain and functional symptoms. Chat participants must first register by filling out an online form providing us with their name, age, functional symptoms, and an anonymous screen name. We collect this information to verify that an individual is eligible to participate in a particular chat, which is kept internally and not available to any third party. Individuals who are ineligible will not be allowed to join the chat. Eligible chat participants who violate the rules of the chat room will be required to leave the chat room immediately.

We ask participants to have an anonymous screen name (first name only or nickname) when they sign in the chat, so there is actually no personal or health information available in the chat room. We save a transcript of the chat at the end of the chat for training purposes. The transcripts are kept internally and are not available to any third party.

Children’s Online Safety

Teens and adults of all ages are welcome to read the materials posted here at thecomfortability.com. We do not, however, allow children under the age of 13 to join our mailing lists.

Links to Other Sites

thecomfortability.com contains links to external web sites not administered by the Comfort Ability® Program. Boston Children’s Hospital does not review or monitor the content or how information provided on those sites are safeguarded against release to other third parties.  Use of these links are at your own risk and we encourage you to check the privacy policies of those web sites, to insure that your privacy is being safeguarded when you visit those sites.

Advertisements

thecomfortability.com does not host or receive funding from advertising or from the display of commercial content.

IP Addresses

An IP address is an ID number generated for your computer when you go online. The Comfort Ability® Program web site coordinators keeps track of the IP addresses of visitors to our site. We use these addresses to learn about our readership, and to learn which of our web articles are most viewed, for how long, and in which countries. We do not share this information with any other party. We also do not associate your IP address with other information that you may provide to us in one of our online forms. We will, however, provide IP address information that may personally identify you when required to do so by law.

Browser Cookies

A cookie is a file that gets stored on your computer when you visit certain web sites, so that those web sites can quickly retrieve your stored information when you visit them again. Cookies are used, for example, in online shopping carts, or for logging in to a private site. thecomfortability.com does not use cookies.

Third Parties

The Comfort Ability® Program does not share any of your personal information with any third part outside of Boston Children’s Hospital.  We may use the information regarding usage of our site in an aggregate and anonymous manner to illustrate the nature of our site and its use to prospective donors, grantors, and journalists.  But personal information of any user will not be included in such aggregate information.

Terms of Use

Please read our Terms of Use (below) to learn how you may and may not use the information and services provided at youngwomenshealth.org.

Privacy Policy Updates: We will promptly post any changes to our privacy policy.

Questions or Concerns: If you have any questions or concerns about our privacy policy, please contact us.

Legal Terms of Use

PLEASE READ THE LEGAL TERMS OF USE CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE COMFORT ABILITY® PROGRAM’S WEB SITE OR OTHERWISE ACCESSING OR DOWNLOADING ANY INFORMATION FROM THIS WEB SITE (THE “SITE”). BY ACCESSING OR USING THE SITE, YOU HEREBY ACCEPT AND AGREE TO COMPLY WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET FORTH IN THIS LEGAL TERMS OF USE (THE “USER AGREEMENT”). THIS USER AGREEMENT IS A BINDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND Boston Children’s Hospital (“CHILDREN’S”), AND GOVERNS YOUR ACCESS AND USE OF THE SITE, WHICH INCLUDES ANY INFORMATION, DATA, TOOLS, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND OTHER CONTENT (TOGETHER, “CONTENT”) AVAILABLE ON OR THROUGH THE SITE. BY USING THIS SITE, YOU SIGNIFY THAT YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING:

1. Children’s grants you a limited right to use the Site.

Unauthorized individuals, institutions and other entities may not act on behalf of Children’s, use its property or solicit contributions without express authorization from Children’s. You many not violate or attempt to violate the security of the Site. You may not decompose, decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble or otherwise deconstruct all or any portion of the Site. It is Children’s policy to comply with all applicable laws and regulations as they may be modified from time to time. In the event that any provision of this User Agreement may be in conflict with any applicable law or regulation, the applicable law or regulation will supersede the conflicting provision.

This User Agreement and your use of this Site are and shall be governed and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to its rules concerning conflict of laws. In the event of any conflict between foreign laws, rules and regulations and those of the United States, the laws, rules and regulations of the United States shall govern.

Should you have any questions concerning the Comfort Ability® Program, please contact us at:

The Comfort Ability® Program
300 Longwood Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
USA

E-mail: thecomfortability@childrens.harvard.edu 

Phone: 617-355-8297

2. You will be bound by revised versions of this User Agreement that Children’s posts on the Site.

Modifications of this User Agreement will be effective immediately upon posting unless we indicate otherwise. Your use of the Site indicates your full acceptance of this User Agreement in its then-current form each time you use the Site.

3. The Content may not be available for use outside of the United States.

Children’s makes no representation that any Content is appropriate or available for use outside the United States, its territories, possessions and protectorates. If you choose to access the Site from other locations, you do so on your own initiative and at your own risk. You are responsible for complying with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable. You specifically agree to comply with all applicable laws concerning the transmission of technical data exported from the United States or the country you reside in.

4. The Site is owned by Children’s, its affiliates and/or third parties.

Children’s owns and operates the Site and the Content provided to you via the Site. All Content contained in the Site is the property of Children’s, its licensors or its content contributors, and is protected by U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws. The compilation (meaning the collection, arrangement and assembly) of all Content on the Site is the exclusive property of Children’s and is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws.

The Content on the Site may be used for your personal information or for distribution for educational purposes in a classroom, clinical setting or health fair. Printed Content from the Site must include each document in its entirety, including the original header, footer, logos, and copyright information. No modification may be made to the Content. The Content may not in any way be abstracted, reproduced or translated, regardless of whether or not all copyright, trademark and other proprietary notices are included in each such use. No portion of the Site or the Content may be sold or otherwise used or distributed in conjunction with any commercial purpose, unless expressly permitted in writing by Children’s. Systematic retrieval of Content from the Site to create or compile, directly or indirectly, a collection, compilation, database or directory is strictly prohibited without prior written permission from Children’s.

If you wish to use the Content in any manner other than as set forth above, you must request such use in writing via mail or email and wait for a response, prior to using any information. You should expect that we will respond within 21 days to your request.

The Comfort Ability Program
333 Longwood Avenue, 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02115
USA

E-mail: thecomfortability@childrens.harvard.edu

If you wish to cite the Content from the Site, you must cite it correctly, including the following:

Page title
Web address (*URL)
Date Accessed
Author: The Comfort Ability® Program

Reviewers, if applicable
Date Updated
Publisher: The Comfort Ability® Program, Boston Children’s Hospital

The Comfort Ability® Program is a trademark of Children’s. All other trademarks, service marks, trade names and logos appearing on the Site are the property of their respective owners.

5. Children’s is not liable for any actions taken in reliance of the Content on the Site.

The Content on this Site is educational in nature and intended solely as general information. It is not a recommendation for treatment or medical advice. It is not a substitute for advice from your treating health care provider. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, contact your health care provider or go to the nearest emergency department. To the extent permissible under applicable laws, no responsibility is assumed for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any ideas, instructions, methods, products or procedures contained in the Site. IN NO EVENT WILL CHILDREN’S, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES, SUBCONTRACTORS, AGENTS, LICENSORS AND REPRESENTATIVES BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANYONE ELSE FOR ANY DECISION MADE OR ACTION TAKEN BY YOU IN RELIANCE ON SUCH CONTENT. The additional disclaimers included in the various publications available via the Site are hereby incorporated by reference.

6. Children’s is not responsible for any technological problems or any impact that they may have.

All or any portion of the Site may not be available and may not function properly at any time. We make reasonable efforts to avoid technological problems, but at any time the Site may have and may cause technological problems such as viruses and other damaging computer programming routines or engines. We take reasonable security precautions when using the internet, telephone or other means to transport data or other communications, but we disclaim liability for any interception of data or communications. We make reasonable efforts to ensure that the Site is secure but we do not guarantee the security of the Site. Children’s is not liable for any damage or injury caused by the performance or failure of performance of all or any portion of the Site. Children’s is not liable for any defects, delays or errors in or resulting from your use of the Site.

7. Children’s is not responsible for information on any third-party web site that is referred in, or accessible or connected by hyperlink to, the Site.

The provision via the Site of links and referrals to other web sites, publications or information resources does not constitute the endorsement of those web sites or resources by Children’s, The Comfort Ability® Program, its agents or representatives. Children’s makes no representations or claims as to the quality, content and accuracy of the information, services or products which may be provided by such resources, and specifically disclaims any warranties, including but not limited to, the implied or express warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular usage, application or purpose.

You may link to the Site solely for noncommercial purposes. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Children’s and the Comfort Ability® Program reserves the right to prohibit any entity from linking to its web site.

8. Children’s disclaims all warranties with respect to the Site that the law allows it to disclaim.

THE UNAUTHORIZED ALTERATION OF THE CONTENT OF THIS WEB SITE IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED. CHILDREN’S, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES, SUBCONTRACTORS, AGENTS, LICENSORS AND REPRESENTATIVES SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CLAIMS, ACTIONS, OR DAMAGES WHICH MAY ARISE ON ACCOUNT OF THE UNAUTHORIZED ALTERATION OF THIS WEB SITE.

THE SITE IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS. CHILDREN’S DISCLAIMS ALL REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OF ANY KIND WITH RESPECT TO THE MATERIALS CONTAINED IN THE SITE INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND PROPRIETARY RIGHTS. WITHOUT LIMITING OUR GENERAL DISCLAIMER, WE DO NOT WARRANT THE AVAILABILITY, COMPLETENESS, TIMELINESS, FUNCTIONALITY, RELIABILITY, SEQUENCING OR SPEED OF DELIVERY OF THE SITE OR ANY PART OF THE CONTENT.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL CHILDREN’S, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES, SUBCONTRACTORS, AGENTS, LICENSORS OR REPRESENTATIVES BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND ARISING FROM THE USE OF THIS WEB SITE, OR ANY LOSS OR INJURY, CAUSED IN WHOLE OR PART BY ITS NEGLIGENCE OR CONTINGENCIES BEYOND ITS CONTROL IN PROCURING, COMPILING, INTERPRETING, REPORTING OR DELIVERING INFORMATION THROUGH THIS SITE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES (EVEN IF CHILDREN’S HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES). BECAUSE SOME STATES AND JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

THIS DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY APPLIES TO ANY AND ALL DAMAGES OR INJURY, INCLUDING THOSE CAUSED BY ANY FAILURE OF PERFORMANCE, ERROR, OMISSION, INTERRUPTION, DELETION, DEFECT, DELAY IN OPERATION OR TRANSMISSION, COMPUTER VIRUS, COMMUNICATION LINE FAILURE, THEFT, DESTRUCTION OR UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO, ALTERATION OF OR USE OF ANY ASSET, WHETHER FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORTIOUS BEHAVIOR, NEGLIGENCE OR UNDER ANY OTHER CAUSE OF ACTION.

9. You will be responsible for any liability to The Comfort Ability® Program and/or Children’s that arises out of your breach of this User Agreement or your use of this Site.

You hereby agree to indemnify, defend and hold The Comfort Ability® Program, Children’s and its affiliates and subcontractors, and their directors, officers, employees, affiliates, agents, licensors and representatives, harmless from and against any and all suits, liability, losses, damages, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) that arise from or relate to:

(i) your use of the Site;

(ii) your breach of your obligations under this User Agreement or any representation, warranty or covenant made by you in this User Agreement;

(iii) your violation of any applicable law, statute, ordinance, regulation or of any third-party’s rights; or

(iv) claims asserted by third parties which, if proven, would place you in breach of the representations, warranties, covenants or other provisions contained in this User Agreement.