CDSC  Knowledge Management Portal AHRQ
THE BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL
CLINICAL DECISION SUPPORT (“CDS”) PORTAL

TERMS OF USE

PLEASE READ THE TERMS OF USE BELOW AND INDICATE YOUR ACCEPTANCE BY CLICKING THE “AGREE” BUTTON AT THE END. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE PORTAL. YOU MAY PRINT THESE TERMS OF USE FOR YOUR RECORDS.

This website (the “Portal”) provides access to clinical decision support processes and procedures (“CDS Content”) created by healthcare providers, hospitals and medical centers (each a “Contributor”) who have submitted such content to be shared with the medical community for the improvement of patient care. The Portal is offered as a result of a contract from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (“AHRQ”) to develop, implement and evaluate projects that advance understanding of how best to incorporate clinical decision support into the delivery of healthcare.

BWH is providing you with access to the Portal at no cost and subject to these Terms of Use. These Terms of Use must be agreed to by all individuals who access the Portal and applies equally to the legal entity (such as a hospital, medical center, or physicians practice) with whom you are employed. By accepting the terms and conditions of this Agreement, you are representing to BWH that you have the authority to accept these Terms of Use on behalf of yourself and such legal entity. The term “Enduser” as used in these Terms of Use includes both you, as an individual, and your employer. BWH may, from time to time, at its sole discretion and unilaterally, amend these Terms of Use. Continued use of the Portal by Enduser after any such amendment constitutes Enduser’s agreement and acceptance of such amendment. BWH recommends that Enduser visit these Terms of Use frequently. The most current version of these Terms of Use can be accessed at any time by selecting the “Terms of Use” link on the Portal home page.

ACCESS TO THE PORTAL

Provided that, and for so long as, Enduser is in compliance with the terms and conditions of these Terms of Use, BWH grants Enduser a limited right to access the Portal. Enduser agrees to use the Portal only in accordance with the Terms of Use and applicable law. Enduser represents and warrants that any information provided to BWH in connection with Enduser’s use of the Portal is true, accurate and complete. Enduser is solely responsible for accessing the Portal with equipment and software compatible with the Portal. Under no circumstances do these Terms of Use give Enduser the right to distribute, sublicense, sell, or in any other way gain a commercial benefit from the use of the Portal or the CDS Content contained herein. Furthermore, this Agreement does not grant Enduser any rights to any intellectual property unless it is clearly stated in these Terms of Use.

Any special rules for the use of certain CDS Content and other items provided on the Portal may be included elsewhere within the Portal and are incorporated into these Terms of Use by reference.

LICENSE TO CDS INFORMATION

BWH grants Enduser the following rights to the CDS Content, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, solely for such Enduser’s own internal patient care, medical procedures and medical education purposes, and not for any sale, resale or any commercial benefit. Subject to the foregoing, BWH hereby grants Enduser a limited non-exclusive perpetual license to download and use a copy of the CDS Content as follows: (a) to reproduce the CDS Content; (b) to modify and make derivative works of the CDS Content, provided that clear attribution to the original copyright holder is included in each copy of the modified or derivative work, and (c) to place and display the CDS Content on a secure server connected to Enduser’s intranet. Nothing in these Terms of Use is intended to transfer any rights of ownership in any copyright in any of the CDS Content; however, Enduser shall own all modifications and derivative works authored by such Enduser, subject to the pre-existing copyright and license restrictions on the original CDS Content. Enduser agrees it will not remove or alter, or cause to be removed or altered, any copyright, trademark, trade name, service mark, or any other proprietary notice or legend appearing on any CDS Content or any other material on the Portal.

USE OF ENDUSER INFORMATION

Assessment Tools
From time-to-time BWH may request information from Endusers via assessment tools. Participation in any survey is completely voluntary, and the Enduser, therefore, has a choice whether or not to disclose any information requested in connection with an assessment tool. Information requested may include contact information (such as name and email address), and demographic information (such as zip code, age level), among other information. Assessment tool information will be used for purposes of monitoring or improving the usability and quality of the Portal.

Log Files
The IP addresses of Endusers may be collected and used to analyze trends, administer the Portal, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. Although such information is not personally identifiable, we can determine from an IP address an Enduser’s Internet service provider and geographical location of his or her point of connectivity.

Sharing
Aggregated demographic information about Endusers of the Portal may be shared with the Portal’s funding sources and content providers, and with third parties through scholarly publications relating to the Portal and its subject matter. In any such instance, no personally identifiable information will be disclosed.

COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS

Enduser shall comply in all material respects with all federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations governing Enduser’s use of any of the CDS Content.

TERMINATION

BWH may suspend or terminate Enduser’s access to the Portal at any time, for any reason or for no reason at all. BWH reserves the right to change, suspend, or discontinue all or part of the Portal, temporarily or permanently, without prior notice.

COPYRIGHT AND PROPRIETARY RIGHTS

Enduser acknowledges and agrees that the Portal, all CDS Content and all other content and materials contained on the Portal is the property of BWH, its Affiliates, the Contributors, and other third parties, and is protected by United States and international copyright law, trademark law, and trade secret law, as well as other state, federal and international laws and regulations. Except as expressly provided in these Terms of Use, BWH does not grant any rights to Enduser under any patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets or any other intellectual property. Accordingly, unauthorized use of the Portal, CDS Content or any other content and materials contained on the Portal may violate patent laws, copyright laws, trademark laws, trade secret laws, laws pertaining to privacy and publicity rights or other laws or regulations. Except as expressly granted in these Terms of Use, the copying, redistribution, use or publication by Enduser of any part of the Portal or the CDS Content is strictly prohibited.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

The CDS Content is provided on an "AS IS" basis. In view of the possibility of error of omission or commission by the authors, editors, officers, directors, employees, agents, licensors, suppliers, affiliates, or contributors of the CDS Content, neither BWH nor any other party represents or warrants that the CDS Content is in every respect accurate or complete, and they are not responsible for any errors of omission or commission or for the results obtained from the use of such CDS Content. Endusers are encouraged to confirm the information contained in any CDS Content with other sources. In no event will BWH, its Affiliates and Contributors, or any third parties, be liable for any damages (including, without limitation, incidental and consequential damages, personal injury/wrongful death, lost profits, or damages resulting from lost data or business interruption) resulting from the use or inability to use the CDS Content whether based on warranty, contract, tort or any other legal theory, and whether or not BWH, its Affiliates and Contributors have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

BWH, its Affiliates and Contributors do not recommend or endorse any specific tests, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned in any CDS Content or in any other materials in the Portal; the physician is responsible for all decisions affecting patient care.

If any CDS Content mentions drugs or medicines, such information does not cover all possible uses, actions, precautions, side effects, or interactions of these medicines, nor is the information intended as medical advice for individual problems or for making an evaluation as to the risks and benefits of taking a particular drug.

DISCLAIMERS

ACCESS TO THE PORTAL AND THE CONTENT CONTAINED THEREIN IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE PURSUANT TO APPLICABLE LAW, BWH AND ITS AFFILIATES AND CONTRIBUTORS DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF TITLE, MERCHANTIBILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON- INFRINGEMENT.

WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, BWH AND ITS AFFILIATES DO NOT WARRANT THAT ACCESS TO THE PORTAL WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT DEFECTS, IF ANY, WILL BE CORRECTED; NOR DOES BWH OR ITS AFFILIATES MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, CURRENCY, QUALITY, COMPLETENESS, USEFULNESS, PERFORMANCE, SECURITY, LEGALITY OR SUITABILITY OF THE PORTAL OR ANY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED THEREIN. ENDUSER EXPRESSLY AGREES THAT USE OF THE PORTAL AND RELIANCE UPON ANY OF ITS CONTENTS IS AT ENDUSER’S SOLE RISK.

ENDUSER SHALL BE SOLELY AND FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO THE PORTAL OR ANY COMPUTER SYSTEM, ANY LOSS OF DATA, OR ANY IMPROPER USE OR DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION FROM THE PORTAL CAUSED BY ENDUSER. BWH AND ITS AFFILIATES CANNOT AND DO NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ENDUSER’S MISUSE OF ANY INFORMATION, IDEAS, INSTRUCTIONS OR GUIDELINES ACCESSED THROUGH THE PORTAL.

ACCESS TO THE PORTAL AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED THEREIN IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS IN DIAGNOSING AND TREATING PATIENTS. BWH AND ITS AFFILIATES AND CONTRIBUTORS DO NOT ASSUME ANY LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR DAMAGE OR INJURY (INCLUDING DEATH) TO ENDUSER OR ANY OTHER PERSONS OR PROPERTY ARISING FROM ANY USE OF OR RELIANCE UPON ANY INFORMATION, IDEA, OR INSTRUCTION ACCESED BY ENDUSER THROUGH THE PORTAL.


When using the Portal, information will be transmitted over media and equipment that are beyond the control and jurisdiction of BWH. Accordingly, BWH assumes no liability for or relating to the delay, failure, interruption or corruption of any data or other information transmitted in connection with use of the Portal.

BWH does not endorse any content on any third-party websites. BWH is not responsible for the content of linked third-party sites within the website, and does not make any representation regarding their content or accuracy. Enduser’s use of third-party websites is at Enduser’s own risk and subject to the terms and conditions of use for such sites.

LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY

IN THE EVENT OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THE PORTAL OR ANY OF ITS CONTENT, ENDUSER AGREES THAT ITS SOLE REMEDY IS TO CEASE USING THE PORTAL AND SUCH CONTENT. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL BWH OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE IN ANY WAY TO ENDUSER OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ENDUSER’S USE OF THE PORTAL OR ANY OF ITS CONTENT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN ANY CONTENT, ANY INFRINGEMENT BY ANY CONTENT OF THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OR OTHER RIGHTS OF THIRD PARTIES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF ANY CONTENT.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL BWH, ANY BWH AFFILIATE, OR CONTRIBUTOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR SPECIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY LOST PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF PROGRAMS OR OTHER DATA ON ENDUSER’S INFORMATION HANDLING SYSTEM OR OTHERWISE) ARISING FROM OR IN CONNECTION WITH ENDUSER’S USE OF THE PORTAL, WHETHER UNDER A THEORY OF BREACH OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF BWH, ITS AFFILIATES OR CONTRIBUTORS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

ENDUSER HEREBY RELEASES AND AGREES TO HOLD BWH, ITS AFFILIATES AND CONTRIBUTORS HARMLESS FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, DEMANDS, AND DAMAGES OF EVERY KIND AND NATURE (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ACTUAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL AND CONSEQUENTIAL), KNOWN AND UNKNOWN, SUSPECTED AND UNSUSPECTED, DISCLOSED AND UNDISCLOSED, ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH ENDUSER’S USE OF THE PORTAL AND ANY CDS CONTENT. ENDUSER WAIVES THE PROVISIONS OF ANY STATE OR LOCAL LAW LIMITING OR PROHIBITING A GENERAL RELEASE.


INDEMNIFICATION

Without limiting the generality or effect of other provisions of these Terms of Use, as a condition of use, Enduser agrees to indemnify, hold harmless, and defend BWH and its parent, subsidiaries, Affiliates, Contributors, licensors, and their officers, directors, affiliates and employees (collectively, “Indemnified Parties” and each, individually, an “Indemnified Party”) against all costs, expenses, liabilities and damages (including reasonable attorney’s fees) incurred by any Indemnified Party in connection with any third party claims arising out of: (i) Enduser’s use of the Portal or any CDS Content; (ii) Enduser’s failure to comply with any applicable laws and regulations; and (iii) Enduser’s breach of these Terms of Use. Enduser shall not settle any such claim without the written consent of the applicable Indemnified Party.

In consideration of BWH providing CDS Content to Enduser, Enduser agrees not to bring any claim, lawsuit, or action (“Claim”) for any damages, costs, liabilities, settlement amounts and/or expenses (including attorneys’ fees) against BWH, its Affiliates, and Contributors arising out of or relating to Enduser’s use or implementation of any CDS Content. Enduser’s license to the CDS Content under these Terms of Use shall terminate immediately upon instituting any such Claim.

MISCELLANEOUS

These Terms of Use shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without regard to its rules on conflicts or choice of law. Enduser hereby consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the resolution of any dispute based upon or relating to these Terms of Use. Any claim related to these Terms of Use may not be brought unless brought within one year from the date when the claim first could be filed. If it is not filed, then that claim is permanently barred. This applies to Enduser and Enduser’s successors and assigns. These Terms of Use constitute the entire agreement relating to Enduser’s use and BWH’s provision of the Portal and the subject matter hereof, and no representations, statements or inducements, oral or written, not contained herein shall bind either Enduser or BWH. Any of the terms contained in these Terms of Use which are determined to be invalid or unenforceable shall be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability, without rendering invalid or unenforceable any of the remaining terms herein or affecting the validity or enforceability of the Terms of Use as a whole. Failure to insist on performance of any of part of the Terms of Use will not operate as a waiver of any subsequent default. No waiver by BWH of any right under the Terms of Use will be deemed to be either a waiver of any other right or provision or a waiver of that same right or provision at any other time. Enduser may not assign, transfer or delegate any rights or obligations hereunder, in whole or in part. These Terms of Use shall be a binding agreement upon and inure to the benefit of each of the parties and the parties’ respective successors and permitted assigns. Except as otherwise expressly allowed herein, these Terms of Use may not be modified, supplemented, qualified, or interpreted as to Enduser’s rights and obligations hereunder, except in writing signed by Enduser and BWH.

A printed version of these Terms of Use and of any related notice given in electronic form shall be admissible in judicial or administrative proceedings based upon or relating to these Terms of Use to the same extent and subject to the same conditions as other business documents and records originally generated and maintained in printed form.


January 2010