Privacy Policy

Last Updated: November 27, 2024

This Privacy Policy describes how The Institute for Functional Medicine (“IFM,” “we,” or “us”) collects, uses, discloses, and otherwise processes information about you. This Privacy Policy applies to information we collect when you access or use our websites or mobile applications, attend our conferences and events, participate in our courses, use our training materials, sign up for emails and/or text messages, or otherwise interact with us (collectively, our “Services”).

This Privacy Policy is effective as of the “Last Updated” date above. We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make changes, we will notify you by revising the “Last Updated” date. If we make material changes, we will provide you with additional notice (such as by adding a statement to our websites or mobile applications or sending you a notification). We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy regularly to stay informed about our information practices and the choices available to you.

Contents

Collection of Information
Use of Information
Targeted Advertising and Analytics
Disclosure of Information
Applicant Information
Your Privacy Choices
Individuals in Europe
Contact Us
 

Information You Give Us

We collect information directly from you when you become a member, register for or attend a course or conference, provide services to IFM, enroll in an IFM certification program, make a donation, sign up for emails and/or text messages, or otherwise interact with us. The categories of information we collect include:

• Identifiers: We collect your name, email address, mailing address, and phone number.
• Professional and Profile Information: We collect your employer’s name and your primary degree (e.g., MD, DO, NP, PA, etc.) and any information you choose to share to create your profile (e.g., photograph, medical specialties, etc.).
• Financial Information: We engage third-party payment processors to collect your payment information, including, for example, when you register for a conference or make a donation.
• Communication Information: We collect information included in your communications with us. We may also collect any other information you choose to provide. 

Information We Collect Automatically

We automatically collect the following categories of information:

• Transactional and Course Information: We keep a history of your transactions with us, including the dates and amounts of donations or payments you make through the Services. We also keep records of the courses you take and certifications you hold through the Services.
• Internet Activity Information: We collect information about how you access our website, including data about the device and network you use, such as your hardware model, operating system version, mobile network, IP address, unique device identifiers, and browser type. We also collect information about your activity on our website and interaction with our communications, such as access times, browsing behavior (such as pages viewed and links clicked), the page you visited before navigating to our website, and information about your activity on specific pages (such as mouse movements, keystrokes, and video views).
• Your Content: We collect any information you share with us, whether contained in comments, forums posts, conference live chats, forms completed on our website, emails you sent to us, or via other means.
• Social Media Information: We collect information about your interactions with us on social media platforms, including your account information and information included in your posts or interactions.
• Information Collected by Cookies and Similar Tracking Technologies: We use tracking technologies, such as cookies and pixels, to collect information about your interactions with our website and communications. You can learn more about cookies below. These technologies help us improve our Services and marketing communications, personalize your experience, and analyze your interactions with us, including to see which areas and features of our Services are popular and count visits. For more information about the cookies and similar tracking technologies we use, and the choices available to you, see the Targeted Advertising and Analytics and the Your Privacy Choices sections below.
   

Information We Collect From Other Sources

We obtain information from other sources. For example, we receive conference registration information from conference organizers when we exhibit at conferences or partner with other organizations to produce conferences. We may also verify information you provide regarding your education and/or credentials.

Derived Information

We use the categories of information we collect for the following business and commercial purposes:

• Service Delivery: We use information to provide and maintain our Services, including to process payments and authenticate your access to conferences and courses.
• Communication: We use information to communicate with you about IFM and our Services, including to respond to your questions, inform you of Services changes, and send you other transactional or relationship messages.
• Marketing and Advertising: We use information to send direct marketing messages and newsletters (including via email and text) and target advertisements to you on third-party platforms and websites as described below. You can opt out of our communications by following the instructions in those communications or by contacting us.
• Research and Development: We use information to monitor and analyze website trends, usage, and activities, improve our website and Services, develop new products and services, and generate de-identified data. 
• Protection and Compliance: We use information to detect, investigate, and help prevent security incidents and other malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, help protect the rights and property of IFM and others, and comply with our legal and financial obligations.
• Policy/Consent: We may also use information in other circumstances after giving you notice and/or getting your consent.

Targeted Advertising and Analytics

We engage others to provide analytics services, serve advertisements, and perform related services across the web and in mobile applications. These entities may use cookies, web beacons, device identifiers, and other technologies to collect information about your use of our website, including your IP address, web browser and mobile network information, pages viewed, time spent on pages, and links clicked. This information is used to deliver advertising targeted to your interests on other companies’ sites or mobile apps and to analyze and track data, determine the popularity of certain content, and better understand your activity. 

You can also learn more about interest-based ads, or opt out of having your web browsing information used for behavioral advertising purposes by companies that participate in the Digital Advertising Alliance, by visiting www.aboutads.info/choices or www.youronlinechoices.eu (if you reside in Europe).

Disclosure of Information 

We disclose the categories of information described above as follows:

• Vendors: We disclose information to vendors, service providers, contractors, and consultants that need this information to provide services to us, such as companies that assist us with web hosting, payment processing, fraud prevention, customer service, data enrichment, analytics, and marketing and advertising.
• Advertising Partners: We disclose information to third parties for the marketing and advertising purposes described above. 
• Conference and Organizational Partners: If you attend one of our conferences or courses, we may share your information with third parties facilitating the conference or course, including sister organizations helping with the conference, sponsors, exhibitors, hotel/facility providers, and others. We may also share your information to facilitate your receipt of selected benefits offered by third parties. We may also share information with organizations we partner with to help us assess community overlap and partnership opportunities.
• Professional Advisors: We disclose information to our lawyers and other professional advisors where necessary to obtain advice or otherwise protect and manage our business interests.
• Nonprofit Transactions: We may disclose personal information in connection with, or during negotiations of certain transactions, such as a merger or acquisition. 
• Legal Authorities: We may disclose information to legal authorities, regulatory agencies such as state medical boards, and others for the Protection and Compliance purposes described above, including if we believe that disclosure is in accordance with, or required by, any applicable law or legal process, including lawful requests by public authorities to meet national security or law enforcement requirements. We may also disclose information to comply with patient requests to validate IFM Certification, IFM Membership, or completed IFM course status and if we believe that your actions are inconsistent with our user agreements or policies, if we believe that you have violated the law, or if we believe it is necessary to protect the rights, property, and safety of IFM, our users, the public, or others.
• Affiliates: We reserve the right to disclose information between and among IFM and any current or future parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and other companies under common control and ownership.
• The Public: Profile information you share through our “Find a Practitioner” feature will be available to the public on our website if you select this option on your profile.
• Consent: We may disclose information when we have your consent or you direct us to do so.
   

Applicant Information

When you apply for a position with IFM, we collect the information that you provide in connection with your application. This includes name, contact information, professional credentials and skills, educational and work history, and other information that may be included in a resume or provided during interviews (which may be recorded). This may also include demographic or diversity information. We may also conduct background checks and receive related information.

Account Information

You can access, correct, and delete certain information stored within your IFM account at any time by logging in and navigating to “Edit Account” in the menu.

Data Subject Rights

You may have additional rights where provided by applicable law, such as the right to request access to or deletion or correction of your personal information and the rights to object to certain processing or request we restrict certain processing. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us.

Cookies and Similar Tracking Technologies

IFM uses cookies and similar tracking technologies, as described above. You can usually adjust your browser settings to remove or reject browser cookies. You can also adjust certain cookie settings by clicking here.   Please note that removing or rejecting cookies could affect some of the functionality of our Services.

Communications Preferences

You can opt out of communications by following the “Unsubscribe” directions for emails or, if via text message, by responding STOP.

Mobile Push Notifications

This section supplements this Privacy Policy if you are in the European Economic Area (“EEA”), the United Kingdom, or Switzerland.

Legal Basis for Processing

When we process your personal information as described above, we do so in reliance on the following lawful bases:

• To perform our responsibilities under our contract with you (e.g., processing payments for and providing the Services). 
• When we have a legitimate interest in processing your personal information to operate our business or protect our interests (e.g., to maintain and improve our Services, conduct data analytics, and communicate with you).
• To comply with our legal obligations (e.g., to maintain a record of your IFM certifications or track marketing consent).
• When we have your consent (e.g., when you opt in to receive marketing communications from us). Note that you may withdraw consent at any time.

Data Subject Requests

You have the data subject rights described above in the “Your Privacy Choices” section. If you have a concern about our processing of personal information that we are not able to resolve, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Authority where you reside. Contact details for your Data Protection Authority can be found using the links below:

For individuals in the EEA: https://edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/board/members_en  
For individuals in the UK: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/   
For individuals in Switzerland: https://www.edoeb.admin.ch/edoeb/en/home/the-fdpic/contact.html 

Data Transfers

We may transfer personal information from the EEA, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland to non-adequate countries like the United States. We rely on appropriate safeguards such as the standard contractual clauses (“SCCs”) to do so, and you may obtain a redacted copy of the SCCs by contacting us.

Data Retention

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

The Institute for Functional Medicine
505 S. 336th Street, Suite 600
Federal Way, WA 98003
Tel: 1.800.228.0622
Main Office: 253.661.3010
Email: [email protected]