Site Policies

	Accessibility
	Advertising
	Copyright
	Disclaimers
	Linkages
	Privacy
	Quality

Accessibility

Women's Health Victoria web site conforms to Level A of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 including all Priority 1 checkpoints defined in the Guidelines.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 explain how to make Web content accessible to people with disabilities. Conformance to these Guidelines will help make the Web more accessible to users with disabilities and will benefit all users.

Web content developers must satisfy Priority One checkpoints, otherwise one or more groups will find it impossible to access information in the document. Satisfying these checkpoints is a basic requirement for some groups to be able to use Web documents.

Claims are not verified by W3C. Content providers are solely responsible for verifying conformance. More information can be found at the W3C web site.

Advertising

In view of its status as a not-for-profit independent service and its subsequent 'non-advertising' stance, WHV will not accept or carry any paid-for advertising on its web site. It is acknowledged that special circumstances may arise to change this view, which will be considered at such time.

WHV will however, promote various programs, products and activities it feels may be of particular interest to users for personal or professional purposes. Any promotional material will fit within the selection guidelines as documented in WHV's Online publishing: guidelines & procedures. This promotion will be at no cost to the relevant individual or organisation.

Copyright

All information and materials on WHV's web site are copyright and, as such, are protected by the copyright laws of Australia.

The following copyright clause is applicable to electronic publishing of information. Note: If WHV has sought permission to use existing material from external sources this copyright statement will be modified to reflect the copyright terms of the organisation or individual who holds the copyright.

Disclaimers

The material provided on this web site is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for talking to a health professional. Every effort has been made to ensure that this information is accurate and up-to-date, however, users should carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance for their purposes, and should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances.

The views or opinions stated in the external resources linked to this web site do not necessarily reflect those of Women's Health Victoria. Likewise, the statements or opinions expressed in articles not specifically written by Women’s Health Victoria do not necessarily reflect the views of the organisation.

We will not knowingly use individuals or source information from an individual or organisation that stands to gain commercially from the association. Any real or potential bias will be disclosed.

Linkages

In view of its status as a not-for-profit independent service, Women's Health Victoria's web site is not knowingly linked to, nor will it endorse linkages from, any commercial health service providers or organisations.

Non-commercial web sites providing quality women's health information or information that may be of general interest to women are encouraged to contact WHV's web manager (webmanager@whv.org.au) for endorsement before linking directly to Women's Health Victoria's web site.

Privacy

Women's Health Victoria is committed to protecting your privacy and the confidentiality and security of personal information provided by you to us. In terms of the relevant privacy legislation, we ensure that your personal information will not be disclosed to others, except if required by law or other regulation.

• We will only collect personal information from you with your prior knowledge and consent.
• We will only use personal information provided by you for the purposes for which it was collected.
• We will not disclose your personal information to a third party.
• You have the right to access any personal information held by us that relates to you.
• You can access all of our products and services without disclosing personal information.
• We strictly adhere to research protocols concerning privacy of personal information.

We have implemented policies and procedures to protect the personal information we currently hold from: unauthorised access; improper use; alteration; unlawful or accidental destruction; and accidental loss. We will remove personal information from our system where it is no longer required (except where archiving is required).

Quality

Quality Assurance (QA) is a process for the systematic monitoring and evaluation of the various aspects of a project, service, or facility to ensure that standards of quality are being met. It is necessary to ensure consistency in order to provide confidence that the product optimally fulfils users’ expectations. QA is a commitment across the organisation and the process is applied in a manner that is transparent to users of the service.

Responsibility for QA on the web site lies with the Web Site Group. The membership of the group consists of the Information and Systems Manager and the Health Information Officer. To ensure a quality web site the skills and knowledge base of the group include:

1. Health issue expertise comprising:

• A relevant health qualification and current knowledge of health issues
• Skills in interpretation, analysis and synthesis of information and
• An ability to write commentary on topical issues as they arise

2. Information technology expertise comprising:

• Skills in web site authoring and editing
• Skills in graphics creations and editing
• Ability to understand and implement accessibility for people with disabilities
• Proficiency in web site management and
• Knowledge of emerging issues in web technology

3. Information management expertise comprising:

• Knowledge of publishing standards and quality assurance processes
• Skills in metadata creation

The Web Site Group will second additional members who have expertise relevant to specific issues when necessary.

The knowledge and skills base within the Web Site Group allow for QA processes on the web site to be applied through the guidelines and procedures set out in the following sections:

1. Content selection, development and review
2. Authentication
3. Policy Statements
4. Technical Architecture

The Web Site Group meets regularly (currently weekly) to co-ordinate and ensure that all QA processes are undertaken. An annual review of the guidelines and procedures associated with online publishing will be undertaken, including the monitoring of these standards against external online publishing standards such as Publishing guidelines for HealthInsite and W3C Web content accessibility guidelines.

We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

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